Walking Water Balls Not Safe, According to CPSC

A new type of vehicle allows ordinary humans to walk on water, but the Consumer Product Safety Commission claims this object is very dangerous. Called the walking water ball, a person can actually climb into this see through clear plastic ball which is then inflated by an air machine while the person is inside, then shut tight with a zipper. Then the ball is placed on a watery surface such as an ocean or lake, and the person can then walk or roll over the surface of the water.

But the risk here is not just suffocation and drowning. People who have an existing medical condition connected with the lungs or heart are at a higher risk for death if they choose to be enclosed in the walking water ball. Then there is the problem of impact injuries if a ball rolls out of the water onto a hard surface, causing the person inside to fracture a leg or arm. Due to the way this ball is designed, only another person on the outside can open it, while the person trapped inside is helpless. That does not exactly give a sense of safety to the person inside this rather unusual ball, even if someone else is nearby. Suppose the side with the zipper falls against the surface of the water, or corrodes and jams if exposed to ocean water? Worse yet, what if a shark is in the area while the water walker is trying to enjoy a sunny day at the beach in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida?

CPSC has already reported several accidental injuries associated with this object that is available tot he public at retail price, one which was a 5 year-old child in Massachusetts. This "amusement ride" has already been banned in several states. While water rides may seem appealing and refreshing to many people, especially at major amusement parks, there is nothing like good old fashioned swimming, which is not only more fun, but a much better form of exercise. Humans were never meant to walk on water, even if a particular western religion holds that an incarnation of their God once did so.

http://healthland.time.com/2011/04/01/why-water-walking-balls-are-risky/

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml11/11185.html