Paralyzed From Slide at Jamaica’s Hedonism II

WILMINGTON, Del. (CN) - Hedonism II, a popular nudist resort in Jamaica, had guests use a waterslide as a chain, leaving one woman paralyzed, she claims in court.

The inflatable pool to which Hedonism II Resort linked its inflatable slide had just 2 feet of water, according to the March 20 complaint filed in New Castle County Superior Court.

Suriana Nordin, a resident of Philadelphia, says her slide injury occurred while vacationing at the Negril resort on July 21, 2014.

Hedonism orchestrated the waterslide activity, though a slide had also "been the site of a catastrophic ... injury" on Jan. 5, 2003, according to the complaint.

Nordin says resort personnel encouraged the guests they had gathered for the "pre-planned" activity to link arms and legs.

With Nordin sixth in the chain descending the slide, "the seventh and last person became disengaged from the chain," according to the complaint.

Nordin says this guest descended seconds after the first six, and "ultimately slammed his head violently" against the back of her neck, "resulting in a fracture of her cervical spine at C6 and C7."

"Suriana Nordin was rendered quadriplegic as a result of the impact and fractures to her cervical spine," the complaint continues.

With resort personnel, including an on-duty nurse, failing to immediately help Nordin, "guests of the resort with medical training" helped Nordin's fiance lift her from the inflatable pool, according to the complaint.

After being treated at a hospital in Jamaica, Nordin was "air-vaced back to the United States for treatment," the complaint continues.

Nordin says that "the resort defendants failed to conduct their pre-planned group activity in a safe manner and failed to cease activities despite the fact that defendants knew or should have known that encouraging guests to link together and slide down an inflatable slide into an inflatable pool posed a serious risk of catastrophic injury."

Since the resort has another waterslide permanently installed in the swimming pool area, it was "aware of the need for water safety rules and regulations to prevent foreseeable injury, including potentially catastrophic injury, to guests participating in water games and activities," according to the complaint.

"It is well known in the water safety industry and the water-focused resort industry that failure to monitor and clear the area at the bottom of the slide can result in unintended contact between water slide users," the complaint states.

A website for Hedonism II notes that the "clothing-optional" resort "was created as a reward for all those times you've had to deny your basic instincts."

"In these lush gardens of pure pleasure, the word 'no' is seldom heard," the website states. "It's what happens when you combine warm water, a white-sand beach, open bars, and open minds. After a week at Hedonism II, you'll view the world from a slightly different angle."

Nordin seeks damages for negligence from the U.S. and U.K. companies that run Hedonism. She identifies those companies as PB&J Resorts LLC, of Dover, Del., and Marshmallow Ltd., of Essex, England.

Lifestyle Links Inc. dba Love Voodoo, a Maryland corporation, allegedly rented and brought the inflatable slide and pool to Hedonism's beach-front property.

Nordin says this defendant jointly organized the slide activity with the resort defendants. She is represented by Rhoades & Morrow attorney Joseph Rhoades.

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