Seven people were injured and five sent to the hospital when a pump at a Colorado public swimming pool began leaking chemicals into the air. The incident occurred at the Del Mar Family Aquatic Center in Aurora on June 15 and resulted in non-lifethreatening injuries. The Aurora Fire Rescue responded to the hazardous materials incident and learned that the pool maintenance personnel had found the leaking pump and already shut it off.

Tiffani Jojola’s 9-year-old son was among those injured while he repeatedly exited the pool using the ladder and dove into the pool from the diving board.

“I guess somewhere near the ladder there was a toxic gas spraying out,” Jojola said.

He came to her complaining that he was having difficulty breathing.

“It was almost like he was suffocating at first, and just coughing uncontrollably,” Jojola said.

The boy said his throat and face tightened up and he started sweating a lot.

They found a lifeguard who administered oxygen and within a few minutes, three more children came to the lifeguard also coughing violently.

Jojola said she saw more children affected by the chemical than adults.

Emergency responders at the scene did not identify the chemical, but at the hospital, the doctor told Jojola that the boy had inhaled hydrochloric acid.

A spokesperson for the City of Aurora said the pool would remain closed while the city thoroughly investigated and fixed the cause of the leak.

Photo Credit: Del Mar Family Aquatic Center