The government warned consumers Thursday that water walking balls, a recreational activity that has gained popularity in recent years, is unsafe and could lead to suffocation or drowning.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission said it is “urging consumers to stop participating” in the activity adding that the commission “does not know of any safe way to use this product.”

The inflatable, see-through spheres are common at amusement parks, malls and fairs in the US, Australia and Europe. They are frequently used by children.

A rider climbs inside the plastic bubble, similar to a giant hamster ball, and stands up. The ball is sealed with a zipper and floats in a pool or a lake. As the rider walks inside the ball, the ball rolls along the top of the water.

The commission said that it has informed state amusement ride officials of the risks associated with the product. It is also encouraging state officials not to permit the ride in their state.

One key concern is the lack of an emergency exit. The water balls can be opened only by a person outside of the ball, the commission said.

The commission said it is aware of two incidents in which people were hurt.

In the first, a 5-year-old girl in Kingston, Mass., passed out last year while inside a ball for a brief time. In the other, a young boy suffered a broken arm when the ball he was in fell out of a shallow above-ground pool and landed on the hard ground.

Manufacturers, for their part, say the water walking balls are safe.

“There are now hundreds of thousands of the water balls in use around the world being used safely,” said Charles B. Jones, head of Viale Campania in Monza, Italy, who claims to have invented the water sphere 14 years ago.

The 6.5-foot water walking balls contain about 90 minutes worth of oxygen, he said. A ride typically lasts five to seven minutes.

(Read by Renee Haines. Renee Haines is a journalist at the China Daily Website.)

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(Agencies)