Sun Splash Family Water Park Enforces Under-16 Chaperone Rule After Safety Problems

Sun Splash Family Water Park has set strict supervision rules — anyone under 16 must now stay with an adult over 21. The park made this switch on Thursday after police stepped in to handle recent incidents.

Each chaperone can watch up to eight young visitors. Staff will check identification at entry points. Kids without proper supervision must leave the grounds. 

"I've seen plenty of fights or just kids acting up because there aren't parents around," said Davian Torres, a local resident, per Gulf Coast News.

Cape Coral Police rushed to the site last Friday to control what they termed a "disturbance." The water park had turned into a popular spot where young teens gathered without supervision.

The stricter guidelines have sparked mixed reactions. "I think it's a little unfair. At even 14 or 15, you can still go to this little water park without your parents. I don't think it's necessary," Nicole Jones, a Cape Coral resident, told Gulf Coast News.

Yet some welcome the tighter controls. Misti St Pierre, another Cape Coral resident, shared with Gulf Coast News: "Well, I think there needs to be rules because kids don't have respect for things anymore, and there's a few of them to ruin it for the good ones."

Park officials stand firm on their decision. Safety tops their list as they work to keep the atmosphere welcoming for all ages.