'Freak Accident' Creates Gas Cloud at Tampa Pool

A scary moment at an indoor swimming pool in Tampa, Florida, this week: Five children had to be taken to the hospital after a cloud of gas formed. The Hillsborough County Fire Rescue responded to a 911 call from the Calypso Pool about a chemical release around 7pm Monday, reports ABC News. They transported the children, who were complaining of stomach discomfort and nausea, to the hospital, where they were treated for respiratory burns, stomach irritation, and vomiting.

The owner of the pool said a thunderstorm earlier in the day caused the pump that circulates water in the pool to shut off, reports Fox News. The pump that infuses the water with chemicals kept running, however, filling one of the pipes. When the circulating pump turned back on, it pushed 2.5 gallons of mixed chlorine and muriatic acid into the pool, causing the gas cloud. A hazmat crew was called in to ventilate the pool and eventually determined it was safe. The operators of the Calypso Pool called the incident a "freak accident." (More Tampa stories.)