News
Child Collapses And Dies In Line For Amusement Park Water Slide
Richard Weinert-Soto was at Adventure Park in Visalia, California, when he collapsed near the Sequoia Springs attraction at 5 p.m. on Saturday, August 24, according to his mother, Maria Velasco.
“This little girl comes and she tells me, ‘I think your little boy is laying up there’… and so I ran up there and he was blue and purple,” she said.
The child was transported to Kaweah Health Medical Center after amusement park employees performed CPR on him.
Richard died at 9.26 p.m., despite efforts to save his life.
“Richard’s heart stopped while enjoying time at Adventure Park…he was having fun, running around…and being a normal kid,” states a GoFundMe page for his funeral expenses.
“He fought until the end and left many beautiful memories behind.”
According to a fundraiser, Richard had a lung and heart ailment from birth. He had six successful open heart surgeries because his heart was on the wrong side of his body. In addition, he had persistent respiratory insufficiency.
“He was the happiest, most loving, and kind boy. He enjoyed singing at his church, talking about God’s love and making his friends and family laugh,” the GoFundMe reads.
“However, not many people saw the full picture and what Richard had to go through on a daily basis.”
Adventure Park acknowledged that “a child suffered from a cardiac emergency while waiting in line for the waterslides”.
A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.
Nnamdi Okoli
