Water park under fire after woman claims she 'shattered' feet on its slide

A water park company in Kordin has defended its safety procedures after a woman claimed she shattered both her feet on one of its slides, leaving her unable to walk for five months.

Jolly Jump Inflatable Water Park, which opened its doors for the summer on Thursday, also denied claims that it had not been in contact with the alleged victim. 

In a lengthy social media post, Raisa Vella said the accident happened on August 26, 2025, her birthday, when she crashed into a "plastic carpet" as she slid down a water slide. She said the carpet appeared to have been left there "carelessly". 

The impact left her with two "shattered" feet that required surgery. 

“I will never forget the moment I looked down. My feet were facing the wrong way. My children were right there waiting for me. They saw everything. They saw me screaming in absolute agony,” Vella wrote.

Raise Vella's post on Are You Being Served. Photo: Facebook

Raisa Vella's post on Are You Being Served. Photo: Facebook

Vella said her partner had to jump into the water to pull her out because she could not keep herself afloat. She said she then spent five days waiting for bilateral surgery, which involved plates and screws inserted into both her feet.

She said the injuries left her immobile for five months and forced to relearn how to walk. 

"Even today, I am still living with the consequences of what happened," she said. 

Her post was widely shared and commented on, with various other users claiming they had been injured while at the park. 

Speaking to Times of Malta, Vella said she broke her silence after seeing that the water park was reopening for summer and advertising itself as a "safe space" for families. 

Jolly Jump: Mat is part of our safety setup

A Jolly Jump manager told Times of Malta that the water park prioritised customer safety and said some of Vella's claims were not accurate. 

“We have an ambulance on site, two medics, lifeguards, and pool attendants present at all times,” he said, adding that the plastic mat involved was not left by mistake, but rather was part of the park's safety setup.

The manager said that after the incident, pool attendants had immediately stopped people from going down the slide. Lifeguards and medics were ready to assist, but the woman's partner had quickly led her out of the pool, he said. 

Compensation claim

Vella also claimed that Jolly Jump never contacted her following the incident. She acknowledged that she wanted financial compensation but insisted her primary concern was "making sure nobody else goes through what my family went through."

Jolly Jump's reaction to Raisa Vella's post. Photo: Facebook

Jolly Jump management said that was untrue.  

“We were in contact with her five days after the incident happened and just days ago,” a manager told Times of Malta. 

The water park, which is operated by Gard Group, said it has not received any formal compensation claim. 

Addressing other complaints of injuries, the manager said thousands of people have enjoyed the park's water slides without any injury. 

“We have always taken the necessary precautions and continue to do so.” 

'Deeply disappointing'

Vella told Times of Malta she was disappointed Jolly Jump was not assuming responsibility for her injuries. 

Her boyfriend had jumped into the pool to save her because the park's teenage pool attendant remained shocked and immobile, she said.

"Instead of helping me, he started shouting, crying, and repeatedly saying, 'I'm really sorry, I'm really sorry,' while remaining by the side of the pool," Vella said. 

Vella said she required major surgery (right) after crashing into a mat (circled, left) at one of the slides.

"At that moment, I was face down in the water and unable to keep myself afloat because both of my ankles were shattered. I was literally drowning. That is why my boyfriend jumped into the pool to pull me out. His priority was saving my life when your attendant did not."