The water park at the American Dream mall in East Rutherford has been closed indefinitely after a decorative helicopter fell into the pool Sunday afternoon, injuring four people. All four were treated for their injuries and are expected to be OK.
Video from a bystander shows a confused crowd and lifeguards rushing to the scene. State officials declared the building that houses the DreamWorks water park an “unsafe structure” and ordered all operations in the water park section of the mall to shut down until an investigation and inspections are finished. The closure does not affect other attractions at the mall.
This is just the latest incident in what’s been a rocky start for the entertainment complex since it opened in 2019. Last spring, the mall was locked down after a man was shot inside the facility and sustained serious injuries. In December, a Long Island man died after falling from the indoor ski slope. And just this month, lenders who helped finance the long-delayed construction of the project sued American Dream’s owners, saying they’re owed nearly $400 million.
