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Mother files lawsuit against Hurricane Harbor Splashtown after 3 children injured during chemical incident
According to the lawsuit, Amanda Regulus claims employees did not ask her family to leave until about one hour after the chemical incident.
SPRING, Texas — A Houston woman has filed a lawsuit against Hurricane Harbor Splashtown after her three children were injured in Saturday’s chemical incident.
RELATED: Memorial Hermann says all 28 patients they saw released following chemical incident at Splashtown
The lawsuit alleges Amanda Regulus’ three daughters, all under the age of 13, developed headaches, skin irritations and sore threats due to the chemical spill at the water park and despite what was happening, her family was not immediately evacuated.
According to the lawsuit, Regulus claims employees did not ask her family to leave until about one hour after the chemical incident. In fact, Regulus claims employees were delaying the evacuation and asking visitors to take part in a promotional contest before they left.
The lawsuit says, “that a concentrated and highly corrosive mixture of hypochlorite and sulfuric acid was released into a children’s pool area at Hurricane Harbor Splashtown.”
Officials did say a mixture of sulfuric acid and hypochlorite solution caused dozens of people in a kiddie pool to have irritated skin and breathing problems.
Experts said the mixture is used to keep the water clean but a chemical reaction can happen if they’re mixed incorrectly.
“On the surface, this chemical exposure was a negligent and irresponsible act that endangered hundreds of park guests, many of them children,” says Derek Potts of the Potts Law Firm, Regulus’ attorney. “Through litigation, we’ll determine the extent of the operational issues and mistakes that led to the incident and its aftermath and compel the park to make the necessary changes to prevent this happening in the future.”
Regulus’ attorneys said they also filed a temporary restraining order to ensure the park operator doesn’t destroy any evidence relevant to the case.
Nearly 90 people were affected by the chemical incident, the Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office has confirmed.
RELATED: Memorial Hermann says all 28 patients they saw released following chemical incident at Splashtown
Thirty-one people were taken to the hospital the day the incident happened but they have since all been released. Fifty-five others were also affected but refused to be transported.
Regulus and her daughters are receiving ongoing medical care for their injuries, their attorneys said.
Six Flags Splashtown emailed the following statement to KHOU Monday in response to questions about the investigation and the lawsuit.
“The safety of our guests and team members is always our highest priority. Our team, along with third-party experts, has identified the cause of Saturday’s vapor release, and we are putting solutions in place to avoid a recurrence. We will provide additional information once we are ready to safely resume operations.”
The park remained closed Monday, with no timeline for reopening.