OFFICERS of the State Consumer Protection Services have pulled a water sport product off the market after being alerted by RAPEX.
The EU run RAPEX system serves as a single rapid alert system for dangerous consumer products by notifying EU member states.
According to official in Cyprus, the kite tube, called the Wego Kite Tube, has so far killed two people and injured 39.
But new numbers from the United States show that as of July 27, 84 people have been injured in 77 incidents involving Wego Kite Tubes.
The Wego is a 10-foot, round and inflatable tube designed to be towed behind power boats. Riders can lift the tube off the water when speeds of 20 to 40 mph are reached.
The tube can rise as high 60 feet, according to some users, and is priced at around US$500 to US$600.
But the injuries that have been occurring from kite tubes range from broken necks, to punctured lungs to head trauma.
On June 25, one American man ruptured his aorta and collapsed both lungs when he was flung from the tube more than 20 feet in the air and plunged into a lake.
The rush of speed in the air and on the water has some shelling out hundreds of dollars for kite tubes. The inflatable watercraft is pulled by a boat, letting the rider slide, glide, bounce, and if the conditions are right, even fly.
But one wrong turn is enough to kill some people.
According to an announcement of the Consumer Services on the island, four such kite tubes were located at the water sports company in Limassol. Three of the kite tubes were seized and destroyed whilst the other kite tube was sent to Russia.
The importer in Russia has reportedly been notified about the kite tube.
Bacteria found in water bottles
THE HEALTH Services were yesterday calling on the public not to consume “Milena Drinking Water”.
According to doctors at the State Laboratory, samples taken from some batches of water bottles revealed that some of the water contained the bacteria Pseudomonas.
The plastic bottles had expiry dates reading 21.11.06 and efforts are already under way for all bottles to be taken off the market.
Health Service officials have stated that the bacteria only appeared in a certain batch.
Pseudomonas is a very well known germ which usually causes infection in people who have had their immunity disturbed
A healthy person is unlikely to get an infection due to pseudomonas.
The bacteria usually affect people who have some other problem such as severe burns, for instance, or problems with the urinary tract, cancer and more importantly, treatment for that cancer.
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