In a lawsuit filed on Wednesday in Orange County, Florida, a woman is seeking $50,000 in damages from Walt Disney World’s Typhoon Lagoon water park, claiming she suffered severe injuries, including an “injurious wedgie,” while riding the Humunga Kowabunga slide in October 2019.
Emma McGuinness, 33, and her husband Edward McGuinness are pursuing the lawsuit against the iconic theme park. According to the complaint obtained by PEOPLE, Emma alleges that the impact of the slide, which stands at approximately 214 feet above a pool, caused her clothing to be painfully forced between her legs, leading to immediate and severe internal pain. The complaint further states that as she stood up, blood began rushing from between her legs. Emma was subsequently transported to a local hospital by ambulance and later to another hospital for the repair of gynecologic injuries by a specialist.
“The impact of The Slide and [Emma’s] impact into the standing water at the bottom of The Slide caused Ms. McGuinness’ clothing to be painfully forced between her legs and for water to be violently forced inside her,” says the complaint. “She experienced immediate and severe pain internally and, as she stood up, blood began rushing from between her legs.”
The couple’s attorney, Alan Wagner, contends that while Emma was aware of inherent risks associated with the Humunga Kowabunga slide, Disney should have reasonably known and disclosed specific risks. The filing asserts that Disney failed to inform guests about potential dangers associated with the slide. Wagner argues that these undisclosed risks make the slide “unsafe and unreasonably dangerous.”
“The Slide was unsafe and unreasonably dangerous to Ms. McGuinness and other patrons because it failed to meet the expectations of a reasonable consumer, including Ms. McGuinness,” the lawsuit claims.
The Typhoon Lagoon water park, a popular attraction at Walt Disney World since its opening in 1989, has not been immune to controversy. The lawsuit asserts that the risks associated with the Humunga Kowabunga slide were unreasonable and exceeded what a reasonable consumer would anticipate.
Disney has not yet responded publicly to the lawsuit.
