Source: http://www.khou.com, March 11, 2014
By: Drew Karedes
The health department is investigating what could’ve caused a chlorine leak that sent nine children to local hospitals.
It happened after 6 p.m. at Fins swim school on Spring Cypress near Stuebner Airline.
The victims, ages 2 to 16, began complaining of nausea, tearing and respiratory distress. According to fire investigators, everybody got out of the pool and the building quickly.
“[That] probably helped minimize the number of victims,” said Chief David Bessolo with Klein Fire Department.
Chief David Bessolo said the youngest victims are ages 2-4 and were in the middle of a lesson.
The other victims, as old as 16, are instructors. It’s estimated that as many as 40 people may have been present when a cloudy substance appeared in the pool.
“It appears to be a malfunction of the chlorination system for the swimming pool,” said Bessolo.
The owner of Fins is calling it a mystery, but he’s already beginning to narrow down what he believes happened.
“A child might’ve put something in the jet, a toy of some sort, and maybe that was released. It could’ve clogged and shot something out,” said Bill Goudeket. “I’ve been in swimming all my life and never heard that happening before.”
Bill Goudeket says the chorine system in the two pools on site are automatic and are monitored daily.
He says the facility will be closed on Wednesday as he plans to hire his own investigators.