The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning consumers to immediately stop using and dispose of SplishSplashFun’s SplishSplash Balls Reusable Water Balloons because the magnets in the product pose a risk of serious injury or death if ingested by children.
CPSC testing determined the SplishSplash Balls Reusable Water Balloons do not comply with the requirements of the mandatory federal toy regulation because they contain one or more magnets that fit within CPSC’s small parts cylinder and the magnets are stronger than permitted by the requirements. When high-powered magnets are swallowed, the ingested magnets can attract to each other, or to another metal object, and become lodged in the digestive system. This can result in perforations, twisting and/or blockage of the intestines, infection, blood poisoning and death.
CPSC estimates 2,400 magnet ingestions were treated in hospital emergency departments from 2017 through 2021. CPSC is aware of seven deaths involving the ingestion of hazardous magnets, including two outside of the United States.
CPSC issued a Notice of Violation to the seller, SplishSplashFun.com, but the firm has not agreed to recall these SplishSplash Balls Reusable Water Balloons or offer a remedy to consumers.
The SplishSplash Balls Reusable Water Balloons are water balloons that can be filled with water. They have magnets inside the round rims to seal water inside. They were sold in packs of six and come in multiple colors. The reusable water balloons were sold encased in a clear plastic bag.
The SplishSplash Balls Reusable Water Balloons were sold online at SplishSplashFun.com in April 2023 for between $25 and $36.
CPSC urges consumers to stop using and dispose of the SplishSplash Balls Reusable Water Balloons immediately.
Report any incidents involving injury or product defect to CPSC at www.SaferProducts.gov.
