June 25 (UPI) — Twelve people, including children, were taken to the hospital in Houston after swimming in a lazy river that was over-chlorinated.
The swimmers were in the lazy river pool at Club Westside, a private tennis club in Houston, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Fire Chief Samuel Pena tweeted that the incident happened Saturday afternoon and urged people to stay away. He later said it was under control and noted the cause to be over-chlorination.
Incident is under control. Cause appears to be an over-chlorination of the pool(s)
Good work by @HoustonFire to quickly triage & transport people. 12 patients transported from the location
⚠️Exposure to over-chlorination can provoke asthma, nausea, skin & eye irritation https://t.co/iYDoZnWf8H— Chief Samuel Peña (@FireChiefofHFD) June 25, 2023
Exposure to high levels of chlorine can cause difficulty breathing, violent cough, vomiting, headache, chest pain, skin and eye irritation, according to the National Institutes of Health.
The Houston Fire Department tweeted that seven children and three adults were transported to the hospital. In an update it clarified that 12 had been transported but it did not share the ages of the two other individuals. It called the incident a “chlorine spill with possible accidental ingestion.”
@houstonfire responded to a report of a chlorine spill with possible accidental ingestion in lazy river pool area at 1200 Wilcrest just before 5pm, today, June 24. 7 children and 3 adults have been transported to the hospital. Several went by private vehicle. @FireChiefofHFD— Houston Fire Dept (@HoustonFire) June 25, 2023
Chlorine is a chemical used in swimming pools to kill germs, reducing the risk of waterborne illnesses.