Ladies and gentlemen, if you thought the grand opening of a massive Texas water park would be all fun and games, think again.
The much-anticipated debut of the $200 million Great Wolf Lodge in Webster, Texas, took a dangerous turn on Wednesday when a hazardous chemical incident occurred in a pool house, putting a damper on the celebrations.
According to reports, the incident didn’t happen in the water park itself but in a separate building on the property. It all started when a contractor mixed two chemicals—sodium hypochlorite and sulfuric acid—that should never have been combined.
The result? A chemical reaction that sent 16 employees and contractors to the hospital with breathing problems and other issues. Talk about a grand opening disaster.
Despite the seriousness of the situation, authorities were quick to assure the public that the water park and hotel were never at risk. The Webster Fire Department swiftly isolated the tanks and monitored the area to ensure no chemicals spread to the park or hotel. Fortunately, all those who were hospitalized have since been released, but it’s clear that this incident was a close call.
A chemical incident at the Great Wolf Resort on it’s opening day has left multiple people hospitalized. The Webster Police Department confirmed the chemical incident at the indoor water park on Great Wolf Way
The $200 million resort features a 92,000-square-foot indoor water park pic.twitter.com/RbVsJKWBHK— KTRH News (@ktrhnews) August 7, 2024
Great Wolf Lodge wasted no time in putting out a statement, emphasizing that safety is their top priority. They’re now implementing additional safeguards for their chemical vendors and cooperating fully with officials as the investigation continues. It’s a strong reminder that even the biggest, most exciting attractions come with risks, and sometimes, those risks can have real consequences.
“The safety and wellbeing of our guests and pack members is always our primary focus. We were informed yesterday afternoon that all those transported to the hospital were released following an incident at a building separate from our main indoor water park and resort,” the statement said.
“Safety is paramount. As such, we are putting additional safeguards in place for our third-party pool chemical vendors and are actively assisting officials as they investigate the matter,” the statement continued.
So, while the water park is back in business, you can bet that everyone involved is breathing a sigh of relief—and hoping that the next big splash at Great Wolf Lodge is all about fun, not fear.
