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Criminality is not suspected in an electrical incident at a B.C. water park that sent a dozen children to hospital on Monday, RCMP say.
But in a Tuesday update, Mounties said “all avenues” are still being investigated as Technical Safety B.C. takes over as the lead agency probing the incident.
The incident happened around 11:20 a.m. PT Monday as a group of Grade 6 and 7 students lined up for the Zero to 60 Raceway Ride at Chilliwack’s Cultus Lake Waterpark.
An electrical mishap at B.C.’s popular Cultus Lake Waterpark sent 12 kids to hospital with unspecified injuries.
The students were between the ages of 12 and 13 years old, police confirmed Tuesday.
Ken Hoff with the Coquitlam School District previously told The Canadian Press that 11 students from Minnekhada Middle School were believed to have sustained “unspecified” injuries.
Upper Fraser Valley RCMP spokesperson Const. Brad Holditch was unable to provide an update on the children’s condition or whether any had been released from hospital.
“We have received reports they are doing well,” he said.
“Nothing was life-threatening, but still very scary for those involved and for the community at large.”
Two of the 12 people who were sent to hospital were transported by air ambulance.
At the time, police described the injuries as “serious but stable.”
Coquitlam School District assistant communications director Ken Hoff said Tuesday the students were under medical care and with their families.
The district has also deployed support teams to the school to offer counselling to students who need it.
‘Electrical’ incident
In a statement issued Tuesday, Technical Safety B.C., the independent regulator that oversees technical products, equipment, systems and railways, said it deployed safety officers to conduct a “thorough assessment” of the site. WorkSafeBC has also issued a stop-work order at the park.
On Monday, Andrew Steunenberg, the water park’s chief administrative officer, said the incident appeared to be “electrical” and may have happened when people touched a railing as they waited for the ride.
“That’s what the investigation that’s taking place right now is to discover,” he said. “We don’t know the details of why this happened exactly.”
Initially, a portion of the park remained open following the incident, but its operators later said they were closing it as they co-operated with the investigation.
Holditch said he couldn’t speak to why the park remained open after the incident, or to any details of what caused the incident.
In a statement Tuesday, the water park’s operators said the facility would remain closed until at least next Monday.
The park said it was co-operating with investigators and committed to releasing any findings.
“This incident was tragic and we are deeply upset by what these children experienced at our park,” the statement adds.
Tom Griffiths, owner of the U.S.-based Aquatic Safety Research Group, specializes in safety and risk management at swimming pools and water parks. He told CBC News the incident raises several key questions.
“Where is your record of an electrical inspection? When was the last time you checked for grounding and bonding of the facility?” he asked.
“In addition to that we would check for maintenance records, you know, did you replace any pumps recently? Did you have any problems with any electrical outlets, things of that nature?”
Griffiths said electrical injuries and deaths at aquatic facilities are not as uncommon as some people may think, given that pools require significant amounts of power to operate pumps and lighting.
He recommends his clients have a licensed electrician check that their wiring is grounded and bonded — the steps necessary to neutralize and distribute electrical charge — every five years.
CBC News is seeking comment from the park about when it last had its electrical system inspected, however on Monday Steunenberg said there was no work being done in the park at the time.
“We’ve never had an incident ever occur like this before, it is very unexpected and it doesn’t align with anything in our safety record up to this point in time,” he said, adding the park would remain closed until all questions were resolved.
B.C. Hydro said Monday that it had determined the “electrical issue” originated on the customer’s side of electrical service, not with its own equipment, and referred further questions to the investigating agencies.
Despite the incident, some locals who spoke with CBC News on Tuesday said they would feel comfortable returning to the park once it reopens.
“It’s the waterslides. It’s been open forever,” said Bella Brady.
“It’s definitely something that will get fixed right away because they don’t want the kids getting hurt.”
