Texas does not have a good track record with water parks, and never was that more true than last Saturday. During a sunny day in between what seems to be day to day downpour, guests scurried into Spring’s Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Splashtown on July 17, eager for some fun. But by midafternoon, everything you can imagine had gone wrong.
Per several reports, a kiddie pool began to leak chemicals around 3 p.m., causing skin irritation, like a burning sensation, and respiratory issues for dozens of visitors. The park was evacuated, and hazmat teams were called in to decontaminate dozens of park goers of the chemicals, which the Harris County Fire Marshal’s office described as a hypochlorite solution and 35-percent sulfuric acid but a Six Flags official called a quickly dissipating “vapor release,” per the Houston Chronicle.
In total, 31 people were taken to area hospitals after the incident, according to the Spring Fire Department, and another 55 refused an ambulance transport. By Sunday morning, most people had been discharged from the hospital, according to KHOU.
After the incident, the county shut down Splashtown, which had reopened June 29, and the park was still closed this past Monday. The waterpark will remain shut down while Harris County Public Health and the Harris County Fire Marshal investigate the incident, per a HCPH release.
So far, Hurricane Harbor Splashtown has not released an official statement to the general public.
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