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Parents of child tossed from waterslide platform speak out about son, injuries

APPLE VALLEY, Minn. — In a case that shocked many, the parents of the boy who was tossed from the platform of a waterslide in Minnesota have broken their silence to update watchers about the condition of their son.

Police said, Roman Adams, 18, picked up and threw Sawyer Warner, 8, from the platform of a waterslide 31 feet in the air. Police said that Adams was upset that the line was moving too slowly, WCCO reported.

Adams has cognitive disabilities and was with a caregiver at the Apple Valley Aquatic Center on July 31, but his personal care assistant was not in line with him, police said.

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Sawyer landed on a concrete sidewalk below the ride. He suffered fractures of both of his feet, a broken femur in one leg and a shattered shoulder in what his parents called "an unprovoked act of violence," WCCO reported.

KMSP reported police said, "There was no argument, no pushing, no shoving, no words exchanged, just this individual walking up and throwing this poor kid off the top."

"The knowledge of how close we came to losing him is the most terrifying experience of our lives. We are grateful to hear his voice, hold him and still have opportunities to tell him we love him once again. All our focus is fixed on the well-being of our children; how our son is recovering and how our daughter is coping," the Warner family said in a statement released Monday.

“The prayers and love for our family here have given Sawyer the strength he needs to continue to fight for his recovery.”

Adams has been charged with third-degree assault, KMSP reported.