Chemical Leak at Texas Water Park Sends 31 People to Hospital

A chemical leak at a water park in the Houston area sends dozens of people to an area hospital with skin irritation and respiratory issues.

Definitely not the kind of day you plan for when heading to the water park for some fun but a couple of dozen people ended up going to the hospital when a chemical leak happened at Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Splashtown in Spring, Texas on Saturday afternoon around 2:30pm.

According to a report from KPRC-TV, over 100 people were affected by the chemical leak with 31 of those going to an area hospital for treatment. A 3-year-old was hospitalized but is reported to be in stable condition.

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A representative for the Memorial Hermann medical system said that all 28 patients they received had been discharged in good condition as of Sunday morning.

Splashtown remained closed Sunday and Monday while an investigation to determine what went wrong continued.

A Splashtown representative said a vapor release may have been the cause. “We are working hand in hand with Harris County Public Health officials, along with third party industry experts, to determine a cause, and we will reopen when we are confident it is safe to do so. It is our understanding that all impacted guests and team members have been released and are back home. The safety of our guests and employees is always our top priority.”

Most of those affected experienced minor skin and inhalation irritation, a woman even went into labor during the evaluation but is reported to be doing fine.

HCFMO hazmat is investigating to find out what exactly happened and to verify the chemicals involved but it's believed to be a mix of hypochlorite solution and 35% sulfuric acid, according to officials.