The Recall Desk
HighCPSC·80007·Announced 1980-03-10

Wham-O Recalls Fun Fountain Water Toys Due to Eye Injury Risk

Wham-O is correcting over 100,000 Fun Fountain water toys to prevent serious eye injuries caused by high-pressure water streams.

What this means for you

Real risk of harm even if no illness or injury has been reported yet. Stop using the product and follow the agency's guidance.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a risk-of-harm product where serious eye injuries have been reported, but the source does not indicate fatalities or a specific agency classification that would mandate a higher score.

Plain-English summary

Wham-O Mfg. Co. is voluntarily correcting more than 100,000 outdoor "Fun Fountain" water toys in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The recall covers toys produced from 1977 through November 1979. These toys consist of a clown hat and head that attaches to a garden hose; when water flows through the clown's head, the hat rises in the air.

The hazard involves the potential for serious eye injuries, particularly in communities with high water pressure. Children may peer into the water outlet, and the stream of water could strike them at close distance. CPSC has been informed of two consumer complaints since June 1979 involving a six-year-old boy and a seven-year-old boy who suffered eye injuries.

The toys were sold nationwide in toy stores and variety stores for approximately $10.00 each. The model number #237 is imprinted on the package. Toys manufactured since December 1979 have been corrected with a water flow control valve and are identifiable by a blue hose connector (older designs have a red connector) or the words "Important Notice" and "Safety Check List" on the carton. If the hose connector is red but contains a clearly visible blue insert, it has also been corrected.

Parents are urged to take affected toys to the place of purchase to receive a free water flow control valve insert, or contact Wham-O directly at Customer Service Dept. 7, 835 East El Monte Street, San Gabriel, California, 91778. Consumers may also call Wham-O toll-free at 800/423-4174 (or collect at 213/287-9681 in California). The valve snaps into the hose connector and remains firmly installed.

The recalled product

Product
Fun Fountain water toys
Manufacturer
Wham-O
Category
Consumer Product — Toys
Hazard

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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