FORT MILL (WCNC) - What started off as a fun ride took a turn for the worst.
In California, a 10-year-old boy thrown off a brand new three story water slide, hitting the ground at a high speed.
"I thought he was dead at first, he hit the ground pretty hard," said a witness.
Surprisingly, the boy got back up, walking away with minor injuries.
This is the latest in a series of accidents at water parks across the country.
Last summer a 10-year old Kansas boy was killed going down the world’s tallest waterslide at Schlitterbahn Waterpark.in Texas.
Some two thousand miles away in the Carolinas, parents seeing those videos and now wondering how safe the rides are at Carowinds.
"You're not sure if you're going out to these amusement parks if the rides are secure," a parent tells NBC Charlotte.
According to Carowinds' website, immediately following the last day of the season, the rides are dissembled, inspected and tested.
The expectations only stopping at state regulations. For Carowinds, that includes both North and South Carolina since the park sits on the border.
"There are no federal regulations or even reporting requirements for amusement parks or water parks."
24 states including North Carolina have comprehensive state inspection programs. Other states leave oversight to the private sector or have minimal requirements.
Six states have no regulations at all.
"I always thought differently about those rides because you can tell all of across the world they're not safe."