Center Parcs holidaymaker heard 'crack' as he got on water slide and couldn't turn back

A holidaymaker who broke his leg while getting onto a Center Parcs water slide feared he was 'going to drown'. There was no turning back for David Cannon once he lowered himself onto the Canyon Ride at the Subtropical Swimming Paradise in Whinfell Forest, Cumbria.

The 64-year-old heard a 'crack' and felt a pain at the very start of the slide. Unable to move and with the flow of the water beneath him, David had to complete the slide with his leg 'flopping' along the way.

"The pain was unreal," he said. "At that point I'm on the slide, I can't go back. It felt like the longest slide in the world. I had to pull myself at either side with my arms, going down like an idiot to stop my leg hurting any more.

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"I had no control at that point. It had snapped. My leg was flopping around, I couldn't move it. It was absolutely unbelievable. How I was going to get to the bottom was beyond me - I thought I was going to drown."

David says he had used the other slides at the Center Parcs pool with no issues before giving the Canyon Ride a go with his 14-year-old step-daughter. He watched how she had set off before trying to copy her technique.

Although there were information signs about the ride, David claims there was no clear guidance on how to lower yourself onto the slide. He says the handrail on the left-hand side was also in an awkward position to use while lowering himself, although Center Parcs say all the adequate safety features are in place.

Once he reached the end of the slide, David crawled out of the pool using the steps. He says the lifeguard did not see he was struggling until his step-daughter spoke to him for help,