DOWNTOWN — A mother who brought her 6-year-old daughter and her 7-year-old friend to enjoy an early Spring day at Maggie Daley Park was "shocked" when a large attachment fell only feet away from where other children were playing, according to the woman.
The mother, Christy Grant of Lakeview, said she was looking forward to bringing her daughter and friend to the new Maggie Daley Park Downtown on Saturday.
"Everything was so excting when we got there," said Grant. "All the stuff was really cool."
Then, sometime between 11 a.m. and noon, as Grant sat near the base of one of the playground's largest structures, she said she and other parents heard a loud crashing noise.
When she turned, Grant said she saw a "huge round thing," which she estimated to be 3 to 4 feet in diameter, lying on the ground about two feet away from her.
"Thank goodness no one was standing or walking at that exact spot at that moment, and thank goodness that heavy disk didn't sway another foot during the fall and land on my head," Grant said. "It easily could have killed someone, and in fact, it came perilously close to killing me."
Another parent, whose young son was playing nearby, also saw the incident and "started freaking out" in the immidate aftermath, Grant said. Once they regained their composure after the inital shock, parents gathered and tried to determine what to do to keep their kids safe in the busy play area.
Grant said because no one was injured, she decided to call the city's non-emergency line. While on hold, a park security guard spotted the problem, and summoned extra help. Shortly thereafter, Grant said the two guards carried part of the broken attachment away before returning 15 mintues later and notifying other patrons that section of the park would be closed.
The Park District "responded immediately and is investigating this incident," according to Jessica Maxey-Faulkner, a Chicago Park District spokeswoman.
"The playground equipment at Maggie Daley park was inspected by a third party before the park opened, underwent a full inspection yesterday and another inspection with a third party inspector will be scheduled in the coming days," Maxey-Faulkner said.
After her scare on Saturday, Grant says she's apprehensive to return to the park with her daughter.
"I thought, I want to go back there, but I'm actually really nervous about going back there," Grant said. "It's brand new and something like that should not just fall off. So it makes me question all the stuff that's there, and what else is going to fall apart, and whether it's okay to even play on it."
This incident has not been the first to arise since the park's opening. Just days after it opened to the public in December, a large orange suspension bridge was closed for several hours after a metal clamp became loose.
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