Children report chemical burns at Indiana water park, official says
PORTER, Ind. -- A county official says he has received reports of four more children being injured at a northwestern Indiana water park that's been ordered closed indefinitely.
Porter County Health Department Administrator Keith Letta says the total number of children hurt at the Seven Peaks Waterpark in Porter is now 14.
Letta tells The (Northwest Indiana) Times he has reports of 11 children receiving chemical burns, one with eye irritation from chemicals and two sustaining broken collarbones while on a park attraction.
The department ordered the park closed Monday, four days after opening in Porter, about 40 miles southeast of Chicago. Letta says an equipment malfunction caused an apparent overchlorination of the water.
Stacy Bethel's 2-year-old daughter suffered burns, CBS Chicago reports.
"She played in there for awhile, and we started hearing other kids crying and saying that parts of their bodies hurt and there was a mom in the bathroom saying her kid's skin was on fire, so I pulled my daughter out of the water and she started screaming," Bethel said.
Carey Howard says she took her daughters to the park and that they both suffered burns after being in the kiddie pool.
"It's sickening to me to know that they would do something like that and risk the safety of the children," she said. "It's their responsibility to make sure that those levels are OK and they clearly did not do that.
Calls to the park seeking comment rang unanswered Saturday.