BIRCH BAY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Birch Bay Waterslides is pushing back against the lawsuit from a man who was seriously injured there last summer.

Larry Baker filed the suit last May after his legs broke through a defective panel when he went down the park’s Hairpin slide in August 2023. Baker claims the park’s owners are at fault for not keeping up with regular maintenance and not having detailed safety plans in case of emergencies.

Birch Bay Waterslides denied all wrong-doing and demanded a jury trial in its response to the lawsuit on June 12.

The park’s owners claim they didn’t know that part of the park was damaged or defective at the time of the accident and say Baker took on the risk when he entered the park. They cite the liability waiver Baker signed, which included a section where the visitor agrees not to sue the park for any injuries that occur during their time there.

MyBellinghamNow previously reported that Birch Bay Waterslides has not been approved to reopen this year until significant repairs are made.