A Close Call at Rauma Central Park – A Carousel Challenge Among Young People Also Ended in an Accident
News
Over the weekend, dangerous incidents were reported at Rauma’s renewed Central Park: one child was injured, and another was at serious risk of injury. The city has taken immediate action to improve safety in the park.
Over the weekend, two unfortunate incidents in the Central Park playgrounds were reported through the City of Rauma’s feedback service. According to feedback, a teenager was injured when a climbing carousel was spun at extremely high speed using a scooter tire, and one young person fell off the carousel. According to feedback, emergency services had to be called.
This is part of a social media challenge in which the carousel is spun at extreme speeds to test whether riders can stay on. This poses a serious risk of injury. Rauma is now focusing its awareness efforts specifically on schools, young people, and parents.
In another reported incident, a child nearly fell several meters from a climbing structure, but a parent prevented the accident. Parents are advised not to lift their children onto climbing structures if they are unable to climb onto them independently.
The city has already discussed this playground equipment with the manufacturer, and a prompt solution is being sought. As an immediate measure, access to the highest section of the climbing structure will be restricted to prevent a similar incident from occurring again.
– Misuse of playground equipment, such as climbing on top of slide tunnels, creates a risk of injury. Risks of this kind cannot be eliminated by measures taken by the equipment manufacturer or the city, says City Gardener Mari Pohjalainen.
Measures
- The multi-purpose play structure will be taken out of service on Monday, September 14, 2026. On Tuesday, September 15, 2026, access to the highest parts of the structure will be restricted to prevent the risk of falls. Use of the slide on this play structure will also be restricted. This is a temporary solution, and the multi-purpose play structure will be made safe in cooperation with the manufacturer as soon as possible.
- The carousels will remain in normal use, but safety messaging will be reinforced through awareness campaigns in schools, on social media, and via Wilma.
– We want Central Park to be a safe and enjoyable place for everyone. We ask parents to follow social media trends and talk with their children about why reckless stunts can even be life-threatening, adds Park Work Manager Päivi Luotonen.
The city hopes that in the future, similar reports will not be submitted anonymously so that incidents can be investigated more thoroughly. The Act on the Safety of Consumer Services requires the city to report every incident to the Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency (Tukes).
