#Greece: Amusement Park Death Causes Law Review

Typically with the glorious weather in #Greece for much of the year, local kids and holidaymakers alike love fairgrounds, amusement parks and aqua parks. An article in the Athens-based, To Vima newspaper suggests however that aqua parks and other such venues in the country may not be up to standard; pose an unnecessary safety risk and need a law review. 

The basis for the To Vima article was a recent tragic incident in Argyroupoli-Elliniko, Athens whereby a 13 yr old boy died and his 9 yr old sister were seriously injured.  (From other sources: It seems that the boy and his sister were in large helium-filled cylinders, known as water rollers, on a pool  when a sudden gust of wind blew them about 30 meters. An Italian and the two Bangladeshis were charged with manslaughter through negligence and causing grievous bodily harm, both of which are misdemeanors.) 

The newspaper reported that an official enquiry into the accident by 'The Body of Public Administration Auditors and Inspectors' (SEEDD) concluded that "the Ministry of Development must establish a legal framework in order to regulate the operation and security of amusement parks, while stressing the need for the Ministries of Interior and Public Order to intervene promptly when such businesses are found to operate without necessary licenses."

In other words the concern of SEEDD is that the regulatory framework for amusement parks is found wanting in Greece along with inadequate enforcement.

So please just be aware if something happens when you are in an amusement park, aqua park or similar venue in Greece that there may be issues over legal liability. If you are a tourist to Greece it may also be a good idea to check that your travel insurance covers water sports just as you would for riding on scooters or quad bikes. Depending on the issuer of your travel insurance policy, the latter may or may not be included.  

I can only conclude that the SEEDD committee has real concerns over the way amusement parks, fairgrounds, aqua parks and other fun parks are being run in Greece.  

The original ToVima article.