What was meant to be a thrilling ride aboard the world’s largest cruise ship quickly turned into a terrifying moment — and it was all caught on video.
A passenger on Royal Caribbean’s “Icon of the Seas” was injured after a panel on one of the ship’s water slides suddenly shattered while he was mid-slide.
The incident left onlookers gasping and staff scrambling to respond.
Mid-Air Slide Drama Leaves Passenger Injured
The passenger, who hasn’t been named, was riding the Frightening Bolt — a towering 46-foot drop slide that sends riders plummeting feet-first after the floor drops from beneath them.
Just as he was racing down, a piece of acrylic glass forming part of the slide gave way.
A gaping hole was left in the side of the slide, and water could be seen pouring out and splashing onto the deck below. A video of the incident captured shocked gasps from fellow passengers, with one person exclaiming, “Someone just fell out of the slide!”
Thankfully, Royal Caribbean quickly confirmed that no one actually fell through the hole, and the rider made it to the bottom of the slide before receiving medical attention.
Slide Shut Down and Medical Team Responds
According to a statement shared with Cruise News Today, Royal Caribbean’s onboard medical team responded immediately:
“Our team provided medical care to an adult guest when acrylic glass broke off a water slide as the guest passed through the slide.
The guest is being treated for his injuries.”
The passenger’s condition is said to be stable, though the nature of his injuries hasn’t been made public.
As a precaution, Deck 15, where the slide is located, was closed off, and the Frightening Bolt has been shut down for the rest of the voyage while investigations continue.
Guests React to the Chaos
Passengers onboard described the scene as alarming but somewhat lucky.
One guest told Cruise Radio that the area beneath the damaged slide was thankfully empty when the water gushed through, avoiding any injuries on the ground.
Footage taken by cruisers shows panicked reactions, but also relief once it became clear that the situation was under control.
The Icon of the Seas: Giant Ship, Giant Water Park
The Icon of the Seas, which measures a jaw-dropping 215 feet wide and 198 feet long, had set sail from Miami on August 2 and is scheduled to return on August 9.
One of its big selling points is Category 6 — a sprawling onboard water park that Royal Caribbean claims is the largest of its kind on any cruise ship.
Aside from the Frightening Bolt, the park also features:
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Pressure Drop, a head-to-head mat-racing slide
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Two raft slides that allow groups to race side-by-side
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Several other adrenaline-pumping attractions
A Reminder of Water Park Dangers
This isn’t the first time a water slide has caused injuries.
Just last year, British tourist Stephanie Somerville suffered a gruesome injury while visiting a water park in Alicante, Spain.
She said her foot was “sliced to the bone” after crashing into a wall at high speed, and was left covered in blood.
Staff at the Spanish park allegedly blamed a loose nail, but according to Somerville, no one ever found the object, and the slide remained open.
Her story added to a growing number of safety concerns around thrill-based water attractions.
Cruise Continues as Investigation Begins
Despite the frightening mishap, Icon of the Seas continues its journey while the investigation into the water slide failure gets underway.
While these types of incidents are rare, they serve as a sharp reminder that even high-end attractions aren’t immune to mechanical failures.
In the meantime, the rest of the ship’s many features — from shows to restaurants and pools — remain open for passengers, with safety teams making sure something like this doesn’t happen again.