Water Park Owner Gives Up After 17 Days Chained to Water Slide

Kevin Dumont couldn't save park from being auctioned
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Nov 25, 2015 4:33 PM CST
Water Park Owner Gives Up After 17 Days Chained to Water Slide
In this Nov. 12, 2015 photo provided by Kevin Dumont, he is seen chained to the top of a water park in Candia, NH.   (Kevin Dumont via AP)

The owner of a New Hampshire water park who chained himself to a slide tower 17 days ago to try to prevent the park's auction has ended his quest because of failing health and the lack of a financial savior. Kevin Dumont climbed the slide at Liquid Planet on Nov. 9 in a bid to attract investors interested in saving the business. He said Wednesday on Facebook there were no takers and that a doctor believes he is developing pneumonia. "Dear friends and supporters, it is with profound sadness that I must tell you that my attempts to find a partner in time to save the waterpark from auction has failed," he wrote. "I had a number of interested parties but there just wasn't enough time to get the details worked out before the December 2nd auction. I tried my best to have the auction delayed but unfortunately I could not make it happen."

Dumont, a genial 46-year-old Army veteran with nine years of service, opened the park in 2008. Two wet summers kept crowds away and a series of financial problems immediately followed. Late this season, the state temporarily shut down two of his new waterslides when they were found to have high levels of bacteria. The state also said he put up the slides without a required review. "We've done things, taken short term loans, worked for free to try to keep it going," Dumont told the AP the day before he ended his effort. "But unfortunately, our loan just wasn't performing. The bank had to call our loan." A GoFundMe page raised just $1,945 toward a $1 million goal, and interest from four potential investors didn't lead to a rescue. A total of $1.6 million was needed to keep the property—including his home—off the auction block. Click for more on how Dumont spent the 17 days (including how he went to the bathroom).

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