Chlorine leak sickens dozens at swimming pool in Utah
First responders raced to the scene after police say a malfunctioning pump dumped too much chlorine into the water; Jonathan Hunt reports from Los Angeles.
About 50 people were treated at a hospital for bloody noses and vomiting after a pump malfunctioned and overloaded a community pool in Utah with chlorine. According to Pleasant Grove Police Department, victims were at the Pleasant Grove Veterans Memorial Pool and ranged from young children to adults.
“An inordinate amount of chlorine was put into the water because of the failure of a pump,” Capt. Britt Smith told Gephardt Daily. “When it went back on, the chlorine went into the water, then it became gaseous as it went into the air, affecting the people in that area (of the pool.)
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Smith said victims were suffering from bloody noses, nausea, vomiting and that some drifted in and out of consciousness, according to Gephardt Daily.
“Anytime we have a mass casualty critical incident, that is a very bad day for us,” he said, according to the news outlet. “But first responders showed up and were very, very good. They got the pool evacuated right away. They set up a triage quickly, and got everyone transported quickly. As chaotic as it was, it was handled very professionally.”
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Smith did not give an update on the condition of the patients.