Why Was Water Wiggle Banned? Explore the reason for Water Wiggle being banned and John McCabe’s death cause.
The father of a 4-year-old kid who drowned after a Water Wiggle toy became stuck in his throat and started spraying water wailed as he described using a butter knife to remove the object from the boy’s lips.
Robert McCabe described the incident during his opening testimony in his $5 million claims against Wham-O Manufacturing Co., the company that made “Water Wiggle.”
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Why Was Water Wiggle Banned?
Parents despised water wiggling after choking a child to death, gradually becoming outlawed worldwide. However, the Water Wiggle by Wham-O Manufacturing was a well-liked item in the 1960s and early 1970s.
Water Wiggle was an instant hit for the company when it was initially released in 1962. Wham-O sold more than 2.5 million water wiggles over 17 years.
Of the toys, about 85,000 were returned. When the water was turned on, a plastic cowl with a silly face covered a metal spout in the shape of a hook connected to water outlets and bounced around the yard.
Children who removed the toy’s head and put the metal connector in their mouths drowned in the 1970s. Whether or not the toy was at blame was irrelevant. Wham-O recalled the item and pulled the remaining inventory off the market after the second tragedy.
It wouldn’t be until 1986 that Wham-O temporarily brought back an (allegedly) safer version of the Water Wiggle. However, this item is no longer mentioned on the Wham-O website.
What Happened To John McCabe?
John McCabe, four years old at the time, was playing with the toy in his backyard with a few other youngsters on March 25, 1978. But the bell-shaped head escaped the nozzle and got stuck in his mouth.
His younger brother Joey, age 7, swiftly shut off the water and went inside to find their father. The nozzle could not be removed despite John’s father’s efforts. He is accused of using a butter knife to cut the hose. On the other hand, the water wiggle did not budge.
McCabe eventually accidentally drowned. His lungs and body were filled with water as he took his last breath in his father’s arm.
John Spencer Robinson of Daytona Beach and Melvin Belli of San Francisco, the McCabe’s attorneys, claimed that the toy was defective and should never have been marketed.
According to renowned products liability attorney Belli, “the packaging itself displays small children playing joyously and blissfully with (the toy).” “The top falls off and the wiggle is lethal.”
Is Water Wiggle Toy Dangerous For Kids?
Kids love to abuse their toys, but occasionally a toy reverses the script and abuses a child as well. With its funny smiling face, The Water Wiggle seems harmless enough, yet it has been reported to be a game for kids that might be fatal if played carelessly.
To ask a typical child of the 1970s to forget such a notorious toy is a difficult task. The Water Wiggle may have been a little cruel in its splashing antics, but it was also a lot of fun for most of us and gave millions of kids wonderful summer memories.
Marcus Manley, a 3-year-old in Baton Rouge, was killed by an identical toy in 1975. Although one attorney said that the McCabes would not accept a settlement for $50 million, Marcus’ family was able to arrange an out-of-court agreement with Wham-O. But, he said, “They want to make this firm look bad.
Wham’s attorney, Craig Cameron, asserted that the toy complied with federal safety standards and was packaged with the appropriate usage instructions. Craig further claimed that the toy’s top had been partially eaten by a dog, facilitating Joey’s entrance into his mouth.
