Medic response at Lincoln Park: Playground injury

That photo’s by Christopher Boffoli, who went to Lincoln Park to check out a big fire/medic callout this past hour – the Fire Department transported a girl (we don’t know her age) to Harborview Medical Center after she fell off the zipline just east of the playground by the park’s south parking lot. Witnesses told Christopher the girl was one of two people riding it when she fell off, took a hard fall, and told her mom she couldn’t get up, then got sick, which can be a sign of head injury, so medics were called. The scene has now cleared, but at one point two medic units and three engines were summoned, so if you saw all the commotion, that’s what it was about.

Kristina March 14, 2010 (5:43 pm)

Our family has enjoyed that zip line many times. My thoughts, prayers and hopes go out to that little girl and her family. May she recover and enjoy telling the tale of her hospital trip without fear!

Forest March 14, 2010 (5:48 pm)

What is a zipline?

d March 14, 2010 (6:15 pm)

Hmmm. There’s a zip line down there?!?
I’ve never noticed it.

Forest – it’s a line secured between trees at canopy height, or maybe in this case two poles. A t-bar/track kind of contraption is held onto above as one dangles (or one sits in a harness attached to it). It carries the rider from one tree/pole to the other. I am guessing this zip line is much closer to the ground, since it is on the play ground.

WSB March 14, 2010 (6:19 pm)

It’s definitely a for-kids thing. And ever since The Teenager got to be too big for playgrounds, we haven’t spent as much time down there, so I can’t envision it as clearly as I once could have. You can see it its south-side supports right over the medic unit in the photo – a similar set is up a slight incline maybe – 50 feet? if that? – to the north. We’re all having a disagreement here about whether you sit on something or hang off it, so hopefully someone more familiar will come along and clarify how it works.

David March 14, 2010 (6:40 pm)

The zip line there has one of the hard style swing seats.

WSB March 14, 2010 (6:47 pm)

Thanks, David. That’s what I thought I remembered!

DOC March 14, 2010 (6:47 pm)

This particular zip line has a rubber seat held by a chain on both sides connecting to the cable, so for the most part the kids sit on the seat and slide down. I personally like to stand on the seat and zip down while holding the chain, or you can superman on the seat, which is also quite fun. You are never too old to use it, as long as you are having fun and taking turns!

MargL March 14, 2010 (6:51 pm)

From what I’ve seen depending on how you launch at the start, when you hit the end stop you can get flung around quite a bit!
Hope the little girl is OK!

HelperMonkey March 14, 2010 (6:53 pm)

you sit on it. it’s very fast, and you have to hang on very tight once you hit the end, because you fly up about 15 feet. it’s wild, and I was surprised in this oh-so-careful society that it was allowed there. that being said, it looks HELLA FUN. I hope the little girl is ok, I can see how you could get hurt on it.

HMC Rich March 14, 2010 (7:06 pm)

Please get well little one. Our hearts are with you. Our three year old loves it and his mother and I will ride it once in a great while.

WS-parent March 14, 2010 (7:29 pm)

I hope she’s okay! I hate that thing, it’s an accident waiting to happen with how fast that stop jerks kids. I wonder how many parents know that before they let their kids ride it. Our son enjoys it though but we make sure to tell him no horse play and hold on tight!

rickybobby March 14, 2010 (8:27 pm)

Lawsuit in 3.2.1….

cjboffoli March 14, 2010 (8:32 pm)

I had never noticed that zipline before though I don’t usually go to LIncoln park for its playground aspects. It certainly was popular though, with lots of children and adults gathered around at the time of today’s accident. The witnesses I talked to at the scene emphasized that only one person should be on the zipline at a time (not two as apparently was the case when the accident happened). The victim was in good hands when I left. And kids are resilient. Hopefully she’ll be OK.

md March 14, 2010 (9:16 pm)

I am sorry for this girl and her family how scary!!! I would be so upset if this caused Seattle Parks to remove this. We are here a lot w/my toddler. There is always a group of tweens doing crazy things on this swing. I realize that is the age to be carefree and tempt fate but I agree 2 people are not supposed to be on this swing. I have seen worse from this age group though. It’s a very fun swing and should stay.

rob March 14, 2010 (9:23 pm)

This thing is one of the few different and cool things you’ll find in a city park here. Just like anything else, used sanely the risk of injury is pretty little. Compared to the sort of stuff little kids will cook up in their own backyard given a little time to make things from their imagination materialize, this isn’t very dangerous at all if used correctly.

There is a cushioned surface under it which should soften a fall quite a bit. She probably just got the wind knocked out of her pretty swiftly. You would have to hit the mat pretty hard to get a concussion.

I let my daughter use this sometimes and while waiting for a turn I have seen some kids (usually boys I’m the 8-12 yr range) do some silly stuff on it. A lot like to stand on the swing, which I really don’t think you are meant to, but as long as they are paying attention and hanging on they seem to have no problems. However, a few times I’ve seen two kids get on at the same time standing on it facing each other, and most of the time one ends up falling off. I wonder if that is what happened here.

CCW March 14, 2010 (11:44 pm)

WSParent said: “I hope she’s okay! I hate that thing, it’s an accident waiting to happen with how fast that stop jerks kids.”

You hate fun. Have you ever ridden it? It just looks like it stops with a jerk because the part at the top stops immediately and forcefully. The seat itself actually doesn’t jerk at all because it swings like a pendulum once the top of the chain is forced to stop. People need to get it through their skulls that the world is not a safe place and not every choice in life comes with an rule-book, instructions and warnings of possible dangers.

Leroniusmonkfish March 15, 2010 (6:06 am)

Last time I rode it my gun and pack of cigs went flying when it came to a stop. But my faithfull off-leash dog retrieved both for me.

But seriously, I hope the girl is fine.

velo_nut March 15, 2010 (7:41 am)

Kids fall and hurt when they play. It’s called having fun.

alki resident March 15, 2010 (8:02 am)

When they first installed the zipline my daughter went on it and it didnt go all the way to the end,when all of a sudden the metal clamp that allows it to slide fell off to the ground narrowly missing her head.She wouldve been severly injured or dead from the heavy weight of that piece of metal.Weve been leary to use that slide since.Im not surprised to hear of this accident youll hear more in the years to come.I wish theyd think of another kids adventurous toy instead.

Aa March 15, 2010 (8:13 am)

CCW: You got it right. We built a zipline in our back yard as kids and quickly became after-school central! Many bumps, bruises and bleeding knees later, our friends (and their parents) still have the very best memories associated with that “accident waiting to happen.”

brandon March 15, 2010 (10:48 am)

If the zip line goes, then take out the swingsets too, same thing. May as well take out the carousels too, in case someone gets pitched off. Oh, and the slide poles too in case they forget to hang on when they slide down. Skip the crazy spyder climber too, they look super crazy.

We were there earlier and had fun. Noticed that new mulch had been laid to soften the landings. Its not a dangerous toy, if you respect it.
Bubble World, anyone?

WSB March 15, 2010 (11:02 am)

Re: the swing sets, we are still sad about the loss of the big old one at Lowman Beach.

KBear March 15, 2010 (11:26 am)

Better drain Puget Sound, too. Someone might drown.

knm March 15, 2010 (11:40 am)

If you’re a responsible parent, you’ll walk along side your young child while s/he rides it. It is perfectly safe, until the very end, where you get whipped forward and up as the cable hits the tire that marks the zip course’s end. I can see how a bad injury can occur if whipped hard and you lose your grip. I always make sure I’m holding on to the chain as my child nears the end of the line.

Gina March 15, 2010 (4:22 pm)

Dang park is full of trees. Always falling over, dropping branches, harboring furry things. A child could fall if they climbed one of them. Better clear cut the place.

WSM March 15, 2010 (5:38 pm)

Typical. Someone puts a serious posting on a blog and the comments turn from the original topic/issue to insulting one another and informing everyone that what you do is right and what they do is wrong.
***
How is the girl doing? Has anyone heard?

conserned March 15, 2010 (7:01 pm)

parents just need to exercise caution

BeachDriveBoy March 15, 2010 (9:24 pm)

I’m also sorry the child was hurt, but I sure hope that we don’t overreact here and take out the zipline, and for that matter the swingsets, the steep trails down to the beach (you can trip and fall there, too and get really, really hurt), or block access to the water (jeepers, you can drown!), or the BBQ pits (jiminey, you could set yourself on fire!)

The point is that in all living there is an element of risk; the question is how much risk are we willing to assume? You can’t ‘goof-proof’ life, and if you could, would it be worth living? The child in question could’ve just as easily conked their head in the bath and home; shall we yank them out?

I pray for the child’s full and swift recovery, and hope that no one overreacts and makes a special park that much less fun.

WS Girl March 16, 2010 (2:47 pm)

I was there at the park and two girls were riding BACKWARDS and together. So I guess those injuries happen when people do stupid things… they better not remove the zipline!!!

CMT March 17, 2010 (10:14 am)

I was pleasantly surprised to read most of the comments. I was expecting to hear cries for removal of the zipline. I want my daughter to experience things and learn how to have fun using common sense and that she doesn’t live in a child-proof world. I still remember the pulley/ziplines in Luther Burbank Park on Mercer Island when I was a kid. My brother ended up having to get stitches one time but we had a blast and no one freaked out.

Sorry, comment time is over.