Inside eerie theme park abandoned for more than 10 years after teen tragically died
Eerie video footage has provided a rare glimpse into a theme park abandoned for more than 10 years after a teen tragically died there.
The Copa Copana Water Park in Athens was the site of one of the grimmest amusement park disasters in 2014 when a boy died while enjoying one of its attractions.
What promised to be a fun day out at the park, spanning 30,000 square metres, ended in tragedy as the 13-year-old and his sister, nine, were swept up by a gust of wind while playing inside a large inflatable ball.
They were flung from the surface of a pool about 30 metres into a metal barrier and rushed immediately to Agia Sofia Children's Hospital in Greece 's capital.
The boy died shortly after, having suffered severe head injuries, after doctors failed to resuscitate him, while his sibling was left critically injured and diagnosed with severe lung contusion.
Copa Copana's two managers were arrested in relation to the incident and officers commenced an investigation into whether safety issues played a role in the tragedy.
Greek police concluded the disaster was a result of both 'bad weather conditions and human error' and the park was swiftly closed for good.
Now a group of urban explorers have headed back to the park and discovered a creepy site, with the attraction's rides and slides still up, but barely a soul around.
Nature has well and truly taken control of the abandoned park, with huge spiralling plants intertwined with the twists and turns of the various defunct flumes.
With the facility tucked in between a hillside and a main road, the YouTubers, whose account Urbandoned has 138,000 subscribers, attempt to sneak into the site round the back.
After a walk through a forest of thick trees, the duo eventually see an abandoned ride peeking out from the undergrowth.
The park is well protected, with a layer of razor wire coating a fence and a small surrounding road, seemingly used by security staff.
They eventually squeeze beneath a small gap in the fence before exploring the spooky site.
Discarded piping and metal cover the park's grounds with thick weeds and plants dispersed between what were once incredibly popular rides.
Drone footage shows the slides gathering rust and moss and pools of stagnant water, filled with tadpoles, sitting in sections of the facility.
A climb to the top of one of the flumes offers expansive views of the surrounding mountains, city and the meandering metal rides.
As he walks down a path, overgrown with towering green plants, one of them describes Copa Copana as 'an actual jungle'.
The narrator explains that the park in its heyday boasted 13 rides as well as cafes and restaurants.
Bizarrely, they spot dozens of sun loungers and outdoor tables stowed away beneath one of the slides, a reminder of the fun experiences once had at the site.
It turns out they are not the first explorers to visit the abandoned park, with several rides seen covered in graffiti, sprayed on in the years since they were drained out.
A trip up a few flights of creaky stairs to the highest point in the facility allows one of the YouTubers to even get a spectacular view of the ocean, as well as the vast extent of the creepy site.
Poignant archive footage then shows Copa Copana at its happy peak several decades before, with hundreds of children and parents enjoying its attractions.
The group are initially surprised by the lack of security at the abandoned site but it turns out the guard had been resting on a sun lounger before ambling towards them.
The friendly member of staff allows them to stroll to the part of the park they have not yet seen as long as they then head for the exit.
Eerily, some of the lifeguard chairs and even cafe menus remain left exactly where they stood during Copa Copana's operational days.
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