By U-Jin Lee
Correspondent

Action Park finally closed in 1996 after a tenure that included six reported deaths and hundreds of injuries. The facility itself remained open, through a number of different operators until this summer — when Action Park returned.

“I was very excited when I found out that the old name came back,” said visitor Robert Glaser. “Last year my family came here, not under the old name and I didn’t think much of it. And now that I found that it came back, I was telling my son stories, how great it used to be, how much fun we had so we went out and bought season tickets just for that reason alone.”

While some say the name reminds them of summer camps, family trips and birthday parties, others can’t help but think of the park’s checkered past.

“So there have been a lot of changes in 30 years since the heyday of Action Park. And one of them is regulatory. And since 2003, the New Jersey Division of Community Affairs has been regulating amusement parks and water parks and have very very stringent standards,” said Mountain Creek Action Park President Bill Benneyan.

According to the state’s assessment of rides, water slides rank among the most dangerous. Over the past five years, there have been 122 incidents on water slides. That’s triple the number of incidents on go-karts, water rapids and roller coasters. A department spokesperson says it’s because “in water slides, people are unrestrained and water flow is still not an exact science. Therefore, unpredictable things can happen.”

While Action Park has built the world’s tallest water slide, Benneyan says the park has made other significant renovations.

“We have about 125 guards in the park and there’s a very specific measurement by square footage of each pool or the type of a ride that it is, that mandates how many guards are observing that area,” he said.

The park says that there are a few things you can do to make sure you don’t get hurt. First, read the safety signs before going on the rides, and listen to the lifeguard’s instructions. If you feel like you’re drowning, wave your arms so that they can see you. Last, always know your limits.

Especially before getting on new rides like one where you’re dropped over 100 feet. As for this summer, the Department of Community Affairs will be watching, conducting surprise inspections and making sure that safety rules are followed at all times.