Featured Image Credit: Instagram/@rhiannan_iffland/Area47
Topics: Real Life, Social Media, Health, Travel, Holiday
Mia Williams
Topics: Real Life, Social Media, Health, Travel, Holiday
A water park with a ‘men only’ slide has defended itself after a woman suffered near-fatal injuries at a similar park.
Amusement parks often put restrictions in place to keep people safe while on rides and slides. But one water park has come under some serious fire after claiming that one of its slides was just ‘for men’.
The popular Area 47 adventure park in Austria has angered an army of women, who were confused why such gender-based restrictions were in place.
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It comes after a world champion diver learnt the hard way what happens after going down the 'no women' slide at the park.
Rhiannan Iffland was curious to find out what women were missing out on while visiting the terrifying attraction which, by the way, boasts speeds of up to a mega 50 mph.
Moments after the 32-year-old disappeared down the male-only contraption, she let out a piercing scream.
Sharing the video on Instagram, she wrote: "Here for a good time not a long time!
"Another YOLO moment."
The entire thing was filmed by her mate and it's since gone viral after making its rounds across social media.
A sign above the ride made it clear that ‘no women’ should attempt to go down. But it turns out that there is a very good reason for it.
In recent years, there have been reports of women having their insides 'ripped apart' by high-speed water slides.
And that very scenario happened to Toni Steedman, 25, who was at the Aqualand water park, in Costa Adeje, Tenerife back in 2017.
The mum-of-two had planned the trip with her husband Adam for his birthday.
But the trip ended up the opposite of a celebration, as she 'nearly died' after going down a slide with a ‘free fall drop’ when her uterus 'ripped'.
Talking to the Sun, she recalled feeling something ‘burst’ inside her, before she was rushed to hospital and was given three blood transfusions.
"The slide was really fast and when I hit the water at the bottom I felt something just burst inside me," she recalled.
"When I stood up I felt as though I needed the toilet but as I moved blood started pouring from between my legs. It was making a trail as I walked from the pool."
The Area 47 water park opted to make its slide - that was of a similar nature - male-only to protect the safety of its female visitors.
The park has received hate after Iffland ignored the safety warnings and posted a video on social media of her going down the slide anyway.
In a statement about the backlash it received, a spokesperson for the park said: “Area 47 was built in 2009/2010.
“At that time, we did not intend to create a ‘men only’ attraction within the water park.
“Initially, this particular slide was open to both women and men.
“However, in the second year, we noticed a significant increase in accidents on this slide, which required us to take action.”
The park has stated that it consulted ‘doctors and authorities’ to make the decision.
Adding: “Our highest priority is ensuring the safety and happiness of all our guests, regardless of gender.
“The risks for women using this slide were tragically highlighted a few years ago when a woman was severely injured on a similar slide in the Canary Islands.
“I want to emphasise that AREA 47 is not misogynistic.
“Approximately 50% of our team members are female, and 60% of our management team is female.”
Realising her mistake, Iffland later told news.com.au: "It was never my intent to mock the safety regulations of this water slide.
“A person’s safety is paramount and I am constantly weighing up any danger with my job.
"To suggest otherwise, is wrong.”