Hotel evacuated after chlorine leak during furry convention

Rosemont police are investigating an apparently intentional leak of chlorine gas that forced the evacuation of a hotel hosting a “furry” convention early Sunday morning, sending 19 people to area hospitals for treatment.

Authorities went to the Hyatt Regency Hotel, 9300 Bryn Mawr Ave., at 12:43 a.m. in response to several 911 calls from hotel guests reporting a noxious odor spreading across the hotel's ninth floor.

The leak came as the hotel hosted the 2014 Midwest FurFest convention, where attendees dress in furry animal costumes and “celebrate furry fandom, that is, art, literature, and performance based around anthropomorphic animals,” according to the event's website.

“As we wake up today we want to continue to provide the best possible convention that we can, despite the trying circumstances,” a message on the site reads. “We ask you to continue to be patient, and remember that the volunteers who make Midwest FurFest happen intend to give 110 percent to make sure that the fun, friendship, and good times of Midwest FurFest 2014 overshadow last night's unfortunate incident.”

Investigators said the manner in which the substance was released suggests an intentional act. It is being treated as a criminal matter and is under investigation by the Rosemont police detectives, authorities said.

Rosemont authorities said the first crews to arrive at the hotel measured the air quality and discovered a high level of chlorine gas in the air. All hotel guests and employees were immediately evacuated as a result, authorities said.

Several guests complained of nausea, dizziness and other medical problems, according to officials, and 19 were taken to local hospitals for treatment.

Displaced hotel guests were temporarily sheltered across the street at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center while police and fire crews worked to mitigate the leak.

Among the convention visitors evacuated was Jakob Kaelin, of Sycamore. He said he was alerted by a hotel alarm at 2 a.m. and was forced to leave before getting fully dressed.

“So I was just out there with one shoe,” he said. “It's kind of saddening to think that people would just do that (intentionally), but I'm not shaken, really.”

Vance Yount, of Muncie, Indiana, said he smelled the chlorine while on the hotel's seventh floor.

“I just passed it off as, ‘Oh, it smells like there is a pool around,' not remembering, hey, this hotel doesn't have a pool,” he said.

Hazardous materials technicians called to the scene located the source of the odor in the ninth floor stairwell. The substance was consistent in odor and appearance to powdered chlorine and was isolated to the stairwell area, authorities said.

After technicians successfully collected, decontaminated and ventilated the area, several tests were conducted throughout the hotel to measure air quality and the building was deemed safe for guests to return shortly before 4:30 a.m.

Among the others evacuated were members of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee men's basketball team, which was in town for a Sunday afternoon game against the DePaul at the Allstate Arena. The Panthers fell to the Blue Demons 83-61.

Zachary Adams, of Cleveland, Ohio, said the evacuation was orderly.

“When things are serious, we can be serious,” he said. “The hotel was great, The (convention) staff was great. Of course, the emergency services are always great.”