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A preliminary investigation into an incident at a B.C. water park that sent a dozen children to hospital on Monday has found “electrical non-compliances” at the site.
The update came Wednesday from Technical Safety B.C. (TSBC), the independent regulator that oversees technical products, equipment, systems and railways, and which is probing the incident at the Cultus Lake Waterpark.
Twelve children aged 12 to 13 were taken to hospital on Monday, two of them by air ambulance. At the time, police described the injuries as “serious but stable.”
TSBC says the victims suffered “electrical shock and burn injuries.”
“The preliminary information indicates that multiple guests were in a water slide queuing area and they received electrical shocks reportedly by contacting a metal railing,” TSBC vice-president of operations Kate Parker told CBC News on Wednesday.
“This is deeply concerning. We would classify this as a serious incident.”
Twelve children were taken to hospital after an apparent electrical incident at Cultus Lake Waterpark in Chilliwack, B.C., on Monday. Technical Safety B.C. has taken over the investigation as officials work to determine what happened.
‘He couldn’t get off’
Jen Browne’s son was waiting in line at the bottom of the Zero to 60 Raceway, a five-lane slide where people can race each other to the bottom using slip-and-slide carpets, when his friend touched a railing and screamed.
Her son, thinking the friend was exaggerating about the metal being hot from the sun, touched it himself.
“He couldn’t get off. He was held on by the electrical current and he had to make himself fall to release himself from that,” she told CBC News.
“He was still worried about his friend, so he tried to help his friend off the pole and he got electrocuted again.”
Browne rushed to Abbotsford Regional Hospital, thinking the worst.
There, the decision was made to transfer the 12-year-old to B.C. Children’s Hospital, amid concerns about possible cardiac or brain injuries.
After two days of hydration, IV fluids and monitoring, Browne’s son was released. But she’s worried he could face long-term health problems, including kidney damage, as a result of the incident.
“He’s a very brave little guy, at the moment he’s doing mentally quite well,” she said. “He has a lot of support.”
But she said she’s left with many questions.
“What was found in inspection reports? What was done about that? What kind of maintenance was done on the park?” she asked.
Officials have yet to provide an update on the condition of the other students, most of whom were on a field trip from Minnekhada Middle School.
We are learning more details after multiple youths were injured at Cultus Lake Waterpark. The water park remains closed as the investigation continues. As the CBC’s Baneet Braich reports, Mounties say criminality is not suspected.
Investigation underway
According to the the company’s website, the incident appeared to have involved a “steel frame tent structure with handrails.”
On Tuesday, the RCMP said the incident did not appear criminal in nature, but that “all avenues” were still being investigated.
Parker, with TSBC, said safety officers remained at the park on Wednesday.
She said it was still early in the investigation, but that officers had found “multiple non-compliances” — defined as electrical work or installations that don’t meet safety requirements under the B.C. electrical code.
Investigators were looking at the recent installation of a lighting system at cabanas near the slide as a potential contributing factor, she added.
She said the facility had its required permits, and that regulators had performed a season-opening inspection at the park and did not find any violations at the time.
“The park will remain fully closed until our safety officers confirm that all hazards have been fully resolved and it’s safe to reopen,” she said.
CBC News has asked Cultus Lake Waterpark about the TSBC update as well as when its electrical system was last inspected, but has yet to receive a response.
In a statement on its website on Tuesday, the park said it was co-operating with investigators, and would remain closed until it receives approval from regulators.
Several school districts have reported being promised a full refund for planned field trips in the coming days.
