A PASSENGER was “sliced open” when a waterside shattered onboard the world’s biggest cruise ship.
A section of slide in the Icon of the Seas’ waterpark burst just as a young lad was shooting down it, according to eyewitness accounts.
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One passenger reported that the kid’s “leg and back were cut open pretty bad” by the dangerous malfunction on Thursday.
Footage shows water cascading from the slide onto the deck below.
Terrified passengers repeatedly scream “Stop the slide!” as they try to warn the operator about the perilous situation.
And a photo taken after the water stopped reveals a jagged hole cut out from one of the panels.
The boy’s exact condition is unknown – but it’s understood he did not fall through the hole.
He was riding the Frightening Bolt slide, according to Cruise Hive.
This famously boasts the world’s highest drop at sea – 46 feet – a dramatic trapdoor launch, and a full 360° loop.
The surrounding area of Deck 15 was closed off following the nasty accident.
Icon of the Seas, operated by Royal Caribbean, is currently completing a seven-day trip around the eastern Caribbean, and is due to return to Miami on Saturday.
Its waterslides are made of glass-fibre-reinforced plastic, according to Wiegand Waterrides.
In a statement, the cruise ship said: “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 water slide is closed for the remainder of the sailing pending an investigation.”
The Icon of the Seas is a colossal 7,600-passenger cruise ship with the world’s largest at-sea waterpark, called Thrill Island.
It features six massive slides, including the Frightening Bolt, Pressure Drop, Storm Chasers, Hurricane Hunter and Storm Surge.
The 250,000-ton ship was launched only last year.
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Just two weeks ago, a crew member on the same ship stabbed his female colleague before jumping overboard to his death.
The body of a 35-year-old South African man was recovered from the water minutes after he is said to have attacked a 28-year-old woman.
And just days later, a passenger toppled over the edge of an infinity pool while trying to reach his sunglasses.
Footage showed a man leaning against the barrier of the pool before losing balance and plunging down to the lower deck.
Miraculously, the man did not sustain any injuries in the fall.
The Sun has contacted Royal Caribbean for comment.