ORCHARD MESA, Colo. – A fishhook taped to a slide cut an 11-year-old boy at a Western Slope playground this weekend.

The boy cut his hand on the fishhook at Lynwood Park in Grand Junction. His aunt, Jasmine Niederkruger and her husband, then found
three fishhooks taped to the same slide Sunday, reported KKCO-TV.

“It was sitting straight up, so if a kid was to go down the slide, they would’ve just cut their leg open,” Niederkruger told KKCO.

The incident is the third of its kind in the past month.

Safety patrols have now been increased by Mesa County Parks and Facilities and the Grand Junction Parks and Recreation department. Both groups are inspecting playground equipment daily instead of the typical 2 to 3 day per week inspection schedule.

“We are taking these reports very seriously and we’re working with the city of Grand Junction and see if we can find out who’s doing this. It’s just unbelievable that somebody would want to hurt our children like that,” Greg Linza, of Mesa County Parks, said.

Safety patrols have yet to locate any sharp objects in their inspections.

If you’re a parent of a Grand Junction-area child, be sure to accompany your child on to equipment and check the area for any sharp or harmful

objects. If you find a suspicious object, call 911 to report it immediately and warn other people in the playground.