Four injured when decorative helicopter falls into pool at American Dream mall

Four people were injured Sunday afternoon when a decorative helicopter inside American Dream’s water park came crashing down.

The decorative structure, which normally suspends from the ceiling inside DreamWorks Water Park, became detached just after 3 p.m. and landed in a pool below, officials said. Four people were treated by first responders for non-life-threatening injuries. Three of the injured left the water park, while the fourth person was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

The water park was evacuated of all guests after the incident, New Jersey State Police Sgt. Philip Curry said. The investigation into the matter is active, he added.

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The helicopter that crashed down is a centerpiece at the indoor water park and is pictured in a photo on American Dream’s website. The water park has several displays suspended from the ceiling over its main pool, including a giant Shrek and Kung Fu panda.

American Dream officials said they will investigate the matter and could not provide additional information due to patient privacy.  “The safety of our guests is our highest priority,” American Dream spokesperson Jessica Griffin said. “We will conduct a thorough investigation into this incident to ensure the park meets all safety regulations as required.”

This is not the first incident in which a person was injured at American Dream.

In December, Peter Mathews, 24, of Bay Shore, N.Y., died after falling while snowboarding at Big Snow. His family told Newsday that Mathews fell backward, hit his head and became unconscious. He was taken to Hackensack University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Mathews had been an airman first class in the Maryland Air National Guard since 2020, and was a crew chief assigned to the 175th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron.

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This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Four hurt at American Dream by decorative helicopter that fell in pool