Safety warning issued over 'walking water balls'

US government urges people to stay out of giant, inflatable spheres due to the risk of drowning or suffocation
Children play in 'walking water balls'
Children play in 'walking water balls', which have been deemed unsafe by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Photograph: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

The US government is warning people to stay out of giant, see-through inflatable spheres known as "water walking balls", because of the risk of suffocation or drowning.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CSPC) said that it "does not know of any safe way" to use the products, which are popular at amusement parks, resorts, malls and carnivals. They resemble hamster balls but are large enough for humans. People climb into the plastic, airtight balls and roll or try to walk on water in pools, lakes or rivers.

"We want to tell the public how dangerous these products are before someone is killed," said CSPC chairman, Inez Tenenbaum. "Our investigation into water walking balls will not stop with today's warning."

The commission is worried about too little oxygen in the balls, as well as the buildup of carbon dioxide. Another concern is the fact that the product has no emergency exit and can be opened only by a person outside of the ball – a serious problem if a person inside experiences distress.

The commission said it is aware of two incidents in which people were hurt. In the first, a five-year-old girl in Kingston, Massachusetts, passed out last year while inside a ball for a brief time. In the other, a young boy suffered a broken arm when the ball he was in fell out of a shallow above-ground pool onto hard ground.

The commission says the balls could also spring a leak or puncture, which raises the drowning risk, especially among young children who cannot swim.

Calls to manufacturers such as Eurobungy USA in Miami were not immediately returned. Another company that sells the water balls posts on its website that there is enough oxygen to last 30 minutes. It says a ride usually lasts about seven to 10 minutes, and the balls are not dangerous as long as they are used safely.