Sportsstuff · Recalled
Sportsstuff Wego Kite Tubes Withdrawn from Market after Reports of Deaths and Injuries
A rider in the tube can become airborne, by pulling on handles attached to the floor of the tube. That could result in serious injuries.
- Units
- About 19,000
- Reports
- 39
- Injuries
- 39
- Deaths
- 2
- Price
- $500–$600
- Remedy
- See notice
Reports, injuries, deaths and price are read out of the notice’s wording by rules, so they can miss unusual phrasing. The official notice is the record.
Affected
The Sportsstuff Wego Kite Tube is a 10-foot-wide, circular, yellow inflatable watercraft designed to be towed behind a power boat. A rider in the tube becomes airborne by pulling on handles attached to the floor of the tube. Model 53-5000 is printed on the tube near the product valve. The floor of the tube has black caution warning stripes. The cover for the product bears a skull and crossbones and the statement "Never Kite higher than you are willing to fall."
The file
- Sold at
- Marine distributors, mail order catalogs, and various retailers from approximately October 1, 2005 to July 11, 2006 for about $500 to $600.
- Product type
- Scuba Diving/Water Activity Equipment
- Made in
- China
- Recalled by
- Sportsstuff, Inc., of Omaha, Nebraska
Incident log
CPSC staff is aware of 39 injury incidents, with 29 of those resulting in medical treatment. Those injuries include a broken neck, punctured lung, chest and back injuries and facial injuries. Sportsstuff has received reports of two deaths in the United States and a variety of serious injuries. Sportsstuff has been unable to determine the cause of the incidents.
What the notice says to do
Consumers should immediately stop using the kite tubes and discard them. The firm is no longer in business. Remedy and contact information are no longer available.
The firm is out of business. Consumers should call the CPSC hotline at 800-638-2772 (TTY 301-595-7054).
Recall notice published by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. This site is independent: always confirm on the official notice before acting.
Notice first dated JUL 13 2006; last revised JUL 02 2024.