'Technical issue' closes Universal Studios water park; guest claims people 'were electrocuted'
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A “technical issue” at Universal Studios in Orlando, Fla., sent employees to the hospital, and left some guests complaining about “electric shocks” on social media.
Volcano Bay, a water park in Universal Studios, closed early on Sunday due to a “technical issue,” the park confirmed to Fox News. While multiple employees were sent to the hospital, they were later released and the park reopened on Monday.
The Orlando Fire Department responded to reports of an incident at the park on Sunday, News 13 reports. Tom Schroder, a spokesperson for Universal, told the outlet that the employees were taken to the hospital “out of an abundance of caution.”
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As a spokesperson for Universal told Fox News, "Yesterday we had some technical issues at Volcano Bay. As a result, we closed the park early while we worked to resolve this issue. Out of an abundance of caution, a small number of our team members were transported to the hospital and all were released and fine last night. We are back to regular park operation today."
Universal didn’t specify what the technical issue was, or why exactly the employees were sent to the hospital. Some people on Facebook, however, claimed to have been at the park and reported electric shocks being responsible.
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Sarah Carlino replied to a posting on Facebook, claiming that she had been at the park with her sisters when the situation unfolded. “They were electrocuted,” she said. “Guest[s] were electrocuted as well. My sisters and I were there today and they were electrocuted while walking. They did not take the incident seriously. They should have shut down the park earlier than they did. The ambulance had to be called for my sisters and the staff were rude and were more worried about people knowing what was going on.”
Carlino told Fox News that she and her sisters "were at the park yesterday and my sisters were shocked around 11:30 a.m. The paramedics were called and my sisters were checked out. But only after I insisted. They did not take the incident seriously." Carlino also claims that her sister suffered a burn on her foot, but will be fine.
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Carlino continued, "We were the ones who alerted them about the issue. They did not believe us and scolded us for telling other guests not to walk in that area. They finally had the electrician come in and check the ground, which he said was 'live,' they then blocked off the area. I asked what the voltage was so that we could know how much voltage they were exposed to and the health manager would not give me that information. She said it was 'minimal.' I then insisted that they call paramedics so that my sisters could get check out and get an EKG.
“The managers were so rude and were more worried about people not hearing what was going on than actually fixing the issue. They then went ahead and closed a ride, a food stand and the lazy river.”
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The Orlando Sentinel reports that a lifeguard at the waterpark spoke with them and claimed that the Krakatau Aqua Coaster had experienced a wiring short. The lifeguard reportedly did not want to be named for fear of losing her job.