The City of Miami has closed enclosed slides at four parks until further notice after a 13-year-old boy was found inside a slide at Shenandoah Park and later died.
The closures cover Shenandoah Park, Children’s Park, Southside Park and Fern Isle Park. The city said all other playground equipment remains open. Wooden covers now block access to several of the slides.
Olvin Cabrera Valladares was found inside the enclosed slide at Shenandoah Park on Sept. 25 and died days later. His mother, Estefania Valladares, told CBS News Miami that she believes a screw caught his shirt and choked him. The circumstances of his death remain under investigation, and city officials declined to comment further on that basis.
Commissioner Rolando Escalona, whose district includes Shenandoah Park, said he directed the administration to close enclosed slides citywide. The city cited limited visibility inside the slides as the reason for the closures.
Miami-Dade County Commissioner Natalie Milian Orbis said she has asked the county mayor and the Parks Department for an immediate inspection of all county slides. It was not immediately clear whether the county would act on that request.
The boy’s mother said he has not yet been buried and is asking for help with funeral costs.
