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First lawsuit filed following chemical leak at Splashtown
FOX 26 Reporter Matthew Seedorff has more about the lawsuit following Saturday's chemical leak.
SPRING, Texas - A lawsuit was filed Monday against Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Splashtown.
Over the weekend, a chemical leak forced the water park to shut down. We’re told at least 86 people were treated by first responders and 31 were rushed to nearby hospitals.
On Monday, we spoke with Araceli Patino who had been at Splashtown during the chemical leak. The Houston area mother claims she still feels sick.
"I was talking to my friend next to me [at the pool] and I was getting short of breath," said Patino. "I was wondering why."
Patino says her symptoms worsened on Sunday, so she had to be taken to a local hospital. According to Patino, she was diagnosed with Pneumonitis (lung inflammation) as a result of the chemical exposure.
"I get tired easily," said Patino. "My lungs are killing me. When I try to take a deep breath, I can’t. It hurts. Every time I cough, I have to use an inhaler."
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Attorney Derek Potts represents a different family that’s now suing Six Flags because of the chemical exposure. According to the lawsuit, the family, "felt the presence of toxic chemicals in the air… experiencing headaches, skin irritation, and sore throats."
"What could be worse than leaking acid into a kiddie pool," said Potts. "We’re talking about sulfuric acid, they stated was 33%. That’s equivalent to car battery acid. Sulfuric acid is also extremely carcinogenic. All of these people at the park are going to have to have that in that back of their minds the rest of their lives."
"The safety of our guests and team members is always our highest priority," said Jeff Filicko, a spokesperson from Six Flags. "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."
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"I have a lot of questions myself," said Patino. "We worry about long term effects."
Splashtown will be closed again on Tuesday as the investigation continues.