“A lot of people choose to drink. They choose to drink to excess, and then they choose to engage in this type of behavior,” Sheriff Paul Sigsworth told Inside Edition. Inside Edition checked out the park to see how much alcohol is being served to patrons.
It’s fun for the whole family, but sometimes, it’s mayhem.
Wild, alcohol-fueled fights are breaking out at some water parks across America, among them Kalahari Resorts indoor water park in Sandusky, Ohio.
Video of a recent incident shows a young woman getting flipped over and body-slammed to the ground. She says she was just defending herself. Her boyfriend got involved, and a chair was thrown. When police rushed to the scene, they tried to restrain him.
Brittany Cabay and Zackary Colzin were arrested for intoxication and have pleaded not guilty.
Sheriff Paul Sigsworth says his department has responded to over 30 incidents at the water park so far this year, including drunken fights, disorderly conduct and domestic violence.
“A lot of people choose to drink. They choose to drink to excess, and then they choose to engage in this type of behavior, and that's what we see a lot of,” Sigsworth said.
Inside Edition investigative correspondent Lisa Guerrero and producer Katie Taylor decided to check out the park, and right away, they saw patrons ordering massive cocktails known as “monster drinks.”
“Katie and I were able to go to two different bars within just a few minutes of each other and get all together, 13 shots in two drinks each, within five minutes,” Guerrero said.
They dumped the drinks out and went back to see if they’d serve more. Altogether, they were served the equivalent of 23 drinks in under an hour.
Inside Edition caught up with a Kalahari manager, who said he couldn’t answer if guests were being served too much alcohol at the park.
“Is it dangerous here for some of your guests, especially the kids, given how much alcohol some people are being served?” Guerrero asked.
“I can't answer that question, either,” the manager said.
In a statement, Kalahari Resorts says the health and safety of their guests is their "top priority" and they have "zero tolerance" for "alcohol abuse," adding any guests in violation will be removed and authorities notified. They also say all their bartenders go through comprehensive safety training.
