Grand opening of Texas waterpark descends into chaos as 16 workers are hospitalized in hazmat incident
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More than a dozen waterpark resort workers in Webster, Texas were rushed to a hospital after “improperly mixed pool chemicals” caused a hazardous chemical reaction, interrupting the celebration of its grand opening.
On Tuesday, the opening day of the Great Wolf Lodge in Webster, a third-party contractor at the resort improperly mixed pool chemicals, causing a chemical reaction, prompting 16 employees and contractors working “in the immediate area” to be transported to hospitals, city officials said.
The Webster Fire Chief Dean Spencer told the Chron that a contractor had mixed sodium hypochlorite and sulfuric acid — two “unlike” chemicals.
The incident occurred in an isolated building separate from the hotel and waterpark, officials added. The Webster Fire Department “isolated the tanks, monitored the area, and confirmed no chemicals were detected in the hotel or waterpark.”
“The situation was quickly contained and will not affect the Lodge’s operations today,” city officials said. “An environmental company is working with Great Wolf Lodge and the contractor to clean the tanks safely.”
The Great Wolf Lodge said that it had “received the all-clear to open the resort and all water park attractions as planned from the Webster Fire Department,” according to a statement sent toThe Guardian.
The Independent has emailed a representative for Great Wolf Lodge for more information.
The Webster resort marks the waterpark chain’s 22nd location in North America and the second in Texas.
The new resort boasts 532 rooms and features a 95,000 square-foot indoor water park and a 58,000 square-foot Great Wolf Adventure Park, according to its website.
