San Antonio Water Slide Drowning in 1980

[crazedchef]

Small world.

I was being babysat by my Grandmother who lived at the corner of Patricia almost exactly opposite that water slide when we heard on the news about the drowning.

Used to look longingly across San Pedro at the slide wishing I could go.

Miss you Grandma.

[fritos56]

The one by IH35 and Fort Sam Houston wasn't that big. It had one slide that you could see from the road, but don't know what else was there. Our parents never took us to any water parks. Usually we would take drives in the country, and go out to Bandera to Horse Creek, or some other place like that. Those were free, or we waded in the little pool at Landa Park.Again that was also free. Our parents grew up in the 1920s and 30s. In Springville ,NY where momma lived, there might have been some creek kids played in, and my dad grew up in Hot Springs<Ark. and later Milwaukee. He and my uncle used to play in the Molly Branch, they also would catch crawfish and bring them home for grandma to cook. Come to think of it, sometimes they'd catch frogs and she would make frog legs for dinner. When they moved back to Milwaukee when the Depression was on, my dad and his friends would go to the Natatorium.It was an indoor swimming pool etc.

[fritos56]

The place i am thinking of was next to Salado Creek , on the hill.You can see the area on Google maps if you do satellite imaging. You can even see the drive way to the place,etc. There also looks like the remains of some sort of rails or whatever too.

[LongLiveCassettes]

It was May 17, 1980 when it happened. They secured the fence so it wouldn't happen again.

The owner has a lien on the property as early as 1979 so they weren't really making any money off their venture so they eventually shut down. 10331 Dessert Sands was the exact address. I got the play record years ago when I researched the property over at the Bexar County Courthouse around a decade ago.
Some guy named George I believe owned the property. I don't remember his last name of the top of my head.

Eric Hayden was the boys name who drowned. He went into the turbine feet first.

Here's the Express News Article written two months ago flashing back to that.

https://www.expressnews.com/news/loc...photo-23507925

[LongLiveCassettes]

They owned another one in Austin between Slaughter Lane and William Cannon off of
I 35 next to where the XXX video is.

[LongLiveCassettes]

Here's more info...
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/.../eric-m-hayden

[nafra73]

SuperSlide memory from when I was 7 or 8 years old. My mom dropped me off that day in May of 1980 at the Super Slide Water park. What I remembered was that they had two slides and on one you could go as many times as you wanted and then on the other slide they had a color code system with a big street light that would change colors from green, to yellow and then red. They had waterslide mats in green, yellow, and red. When the light would turn green and you had that color mat it was your turn to go on the slide. I remember having the yellow mat and the other kid had a different color. I remember looking over and wishing I could have gone on the other slide so I could go as many times as I wanted. However, it was me and the boy and I was waiting on the bench with my water slide mat looking at the light for it to change to my color. Once it changed to yellow I started to walk with my yellow water slide mat to go slide and the boy jumped out like he was going to go slide again. Guess he didn’t notice it changed color. So, the person at the top of the slide that was there helping people get on the slide waved him to get down. Then, motioned me to come forward. As I was headed to walk up the stairs from the bridge and I looked down I saw the boy in a fenced off area. As I saw him and said, “ what are you doing down there?” He responded by putting his finger over his mouth. As to signal me to be quiet. Thinking back on it. I think the fence was a roll of chain link and about 6ft tall. Also, I think the boy jumped down and once he was in the enclosure. I am not sure that he would have been able to get out on his own. The person at the top of the slide didn’t seem to notice me talking to the boy and was waving at me to hurry up to the top as it was on a timer for my water slide mat color. Once I was up at the top and slid down the water slide the color of the water started to change into what looked like a kind of deep purple color coming from the bottom of the water. I didn’t know what was happening or going on and a little confused. Then, the people at the bottom of the slide motioned me out of the water and told me to go wait on the bench by the entrance and the lady at the entrance told me that I could go wash of in the changing room shower. And as I was sitting there on the bench I kept wondering what happened to the boy and just thought he left while I was on the slide. Then, I remembered a bunch of kids go over to talk to the man that was standing there and asking him where the boy was at? But, the man seemed like he didn’t know and told everyone to leave. I think it was close to closing time. But, I remember having to wait a while to get picked up. Also, I remember the rumor was that the boy was hiding after the water slide closed and it happened after the water slide was closed. My deepest condolences to the family and apologies for not remembering sooner. I really didn’t realize or remember the incident until I saw the news of where a boy had lost his life in a waterslide accident and then it all came back to me. So, I started researching and remembering after about 43years ago.