A Chinese tourist has filed a lawsuit seeking more than A$2 million in damages after sustaining serious spinal injuries in an accident on a water slide at Wet ’n’ Wild on the Gold Coast. Yanfei Xu, 32, initiated legal action in the Supreme Court against Village Roadshow Theme Parks following the incident on the AquaLoop slide in September 2023.
The AquaLoop, a prominent trapdoor-style water slide featuring an 18-metre drop with riders reaching speeds up to 60 km/h through four intertwined chutes, was dismantled in 2024 to make way for new attractions. According to court documents, Ms. Xu and her partner, Leon Zhou, planned to ride the slide together, with Ms. Xu entering first. However, the claim states she failed to clear the tube and slid backward near an escape hatch, becoming trapped.
The lawsuit alleges that two slide operators did not recognize Ms. Xu remained inside the slide, despite Mr. Zhou expressing concern. One operator reportedly dismissed these concerns and subsequently released another rider onto the slide, who collided with Ms. Xu at high speed. The claim contends the AquaLoop had an inherent design flaw that increased the risk of riders becoming stuck and consequently colliding.
Legal representatives for Ms. Xu argue that the slide’s design fault, combined with the operators’ alleged failure to follow the park’s written safety protocols—particularly releasing a rider while another was still inside—constituted negligence. The claim further states that failing to be "catapulted through the loop" was a common occurrence on the AquaLoop, citing approximately 728 similar incidents in the month prior to the accident.
Following the collision, Ms. Xu was transported by ambulance to Gold Coast University Hospital where imaging revealed fractured vertebrae among other injuries. The lawsuit also notes that she has experienced escalating psychological symptoms and significant pain, suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life as a result of the incident. Ms. Xu is seeking a total of A$2,341,551.78 in damages.
Village Roadshow Theme Parks has acknowledged that Ms. Xu sustained injuries but disputes both the extent and severity, emphasizing that these matter will be evaluated with medical evidence at trial. The company denies any inherent design defect in the AquaLoop, stating that any water slide designed to propel riders upwards carries inherent risks. Instead, it attributes the accident solely to “momentary inattention and inadvertent non-compliance” by the two operators and denies breaching its duty of care.
Court records indicate that mediation efforts between the parties have been unsuccessful, setting the stage for further legal proceedings.