A primary school teacher is suing adventure playground company Go Ape for £60,000 after she shattered her leg on a slide designed for children as young as three. Rosemary Mountain, 50, suffered a severe fracture when her trainer got caught in the fabric of a 10 to 12-metre-long 'Big Bounce' slide at Go Ape's Black Park site near Slough in February 2019.
The accident occurred in the Nets Kingdom area, which the Central London County Court heard was intended for three to 12-year-olds. Mrs Mountain, who teaches year one and two pupils, told the court that her leg was 'dragged round behind her' as she descended the slide, leaving it broken in so many places it was 'floppy'. She is now suing Adventure Forest Ltd, trading as Go Ape, claiming the slide was 'too dangerous' and 'not reasonably safe for operation'.
However, Go Ape denies liability, arguing that the Nets Kingdom was installed by industry specialists and regularly inspected. The company's lawyers also note that Mrs Mountain signed a disclaimer acknowledging the risk of injury before entering the area. In court, Go Ape's barrister David White highlighted the disclaimer, which stated: 'As with any physical activity, there is a degree of risk.'
Mrs Mountain described the incident, saying she went down the slide with her legs together and her foot snagged on material at the side about three-quarters of the way down. 'It was very fast and the first part is just a freefall,' she told Judge Luke Ashby. 'My foot just got snagged in some sort of material at the side of the slide and dragged behind me. I came to a rest and it was twisted right round.' She added that she had previously been an 'outdoorsy adventurous person' but now suffers chronic pain and is unlikely to return to running.
The slide was later replaced, and Mrs Mountain's barrister, Jonathan Payne, argued that such an extreme injury should not occur on a slide that is reasonably safe. Go Ape co-owner Dave Daborn confirmed that while the area was aimed at children, adults were welcome. The case continues.
