22 sickened at Elmhurst waterpark

A quick-thinking pool manager likely averted more serious injuries Monday by immediately evacuating the Mayan Adventure Indoor Waterpark when he smelled a chemical odor, fire officials said.

Even still, 22 people were sent to area hospitals suffering from a variety of ailments caused by what officials termed chlorine exposure. Hundreds more were checked out by paramedics on the scene.

"We don't know the exact cause -- there's more than one chemical used to regulate the pool," said Ken Herman, general manager of the Holiday Inn Chicago-Elmhurst.

The source of the exposure, though, was a zero-depth pool most frequently used by children. Herman said the pool system is regulated by an automated system that feeds the chemicals needed to maintain it safely.

When the manager sensed something was wrong, "he shut that down immediately, then told everybody to get out," Elmhurst Fire Department Battalion Chief Scott Wallace said.

They're not sure, Herman said, if that system malfunctioned or if it's definitely the cause, though that seems likely. The engineer who designed the system will be working with the hotel to try and find the problem.

Until it's resolved, and the DuPage County Health Department gives clearance, the water park will remain closed. Herman said they expect to reopen by the weekend.

The hotel called emergency crews around 1:30 p.m. reporting a possible chemical exposure in the pool area, and 11 ambulances were soon on the scene.

Up to 18 ambulances were eventually called, though many of the paramedic crews worked triage, assessing the seriousness of complaints and releasing those not reporting symptoms.

Most of the people transported, Wallace said, had watery eyes, redness around the eyes and mouth, or difficulty breathing. The first few victims reported the fumes were aggravating their asthma, he said.

Eleven people were taken to Elmhurst Memorial Hospital, one went to Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove Village, and four were taken to Loyola Medical Center.

Adventist GlenOaks Hospital in Glendale Heights reported treating four patients from the incident, and Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove treated two people. All were expected to be released, according to hospital officials.