A LONG road to recovery lies ahead for the Phoenix father who suffered multiple injuries, including a broken leg and back, after coming down a slide at uShaka Marine World Wet n Wild which was allegedly turned off mid-ride on Sunday, January 5.

Junaid Singh, 36, who had his first surgery on his leg on January 6, is expected to go back under the knife at Entabeni Hospital on Monday for back surgery. His sister, Rohwida Singh Nazeer, said Singh and his family are struggling to cope following the traumatic incident.

“He is currently not in a state to talk. He is not eating and sleeping. He is very much stressed. He had the leg operation on January 6 and we were told that Junaid will go for the back operation after seven days,” said Nazeer.

She said Singh’s incident was witnessed by his two-year-old daughter and pregnant wife.

“The incident took place at around 14:00 and there were no official announcements to inform the patrons that uShaka is closing. The weather was changing and the staff at uShaka were informally calling out to the patrons to not go onto the slides. They were just telling people to come out of the water and slides. Not everyone would have gotten the message,” Nazeer alleged.

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She said her brother was among those who did not hear the message and went down the first slide without incident, however, that was not the case on the second ride.

“UShaka shut down their water supply, causing the slides to dry. Junaid went flying down the slide, hitting his leg first then his back. He could not control his pace due to the slide being dry halfway down. He broke his leg in two places and his back in three places,” added Nazeer.

UShaka Marine World confirmed the incident and said they “are committed to addressing the situation responsibly” with the safety and well-being of their guests remaining a top priority.

In a statement they said, “A thorough investigation into the incident is currently underway and is due to be finalised on Friday, January 10. The report thereof is intended to provide management with the required information to understand what occurred and therefore ensure that any necessary actions are taken. We want to assure our guests that uShaka Marine World remains open for business and continues to operate with safety standards that aim to provide a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone.”

Meanwhile, the Singh family said they are still looking for answers and witnesses to the incident while they weigh their option on legal action.

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