Washington ? An Israeli-designed emergency escape chute that takes people out of a burning high-rise apartment as if they’re swooshing down a giant water park slide was on display Tuesday in Washington.

A handful of people slid down the 150-foot cylindrical sleeve from the 11th floor of Washington’s Omni Shoreham Hotel into its back yard to demonstrate the system.

The “Advanced Modular Evacuation System” system was invented by Eli Nir, an Israeli who developed the idea three years ago after his 8-year-old son became trapped on the top floor of a hotel in Israel. The son escaped.

The system consists of a steel-coil chute, 2 1/2 feet in diameter when fully extended, covered in fire-resistant fabric. Mounted in a window on a building, the system has an internal power supply that uncoils the chute automatically when sensors detect smoke or intense heat. It also can be manually opened.

The chute can extend down 23 stories in less than 10 seconds. A longer one is being tested to reach to 100 stories.

Producers say the system can take 15 people to safety every minute.