On Wednesday, Technical Safety B.C. said its safety officers remained on site at Cultus Lake Waterpark to assess the state of the facility’s electrical infrastructure.
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Early results of a investigation at a Fraser Valley water park found “electrical non-compliances” that may have contributed to an incident Monday that put a dozen children in hospital, some with serious electric burns.
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In a statement shared Wednesday, Technical Safety B.C. said its safety officers remained at Cultus Lake Waterpark to assess the state of the facility’s electrical infrastructure.
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“Preliminary findings have identified electrical non-compliances at the site,” the statement read. “In order for the park to reopen, we will need to conduct further investigation, and the park owner will need to correct all hazards.
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“As a result, the waterpark remains closed with no timeline for reopening.”
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Postmedia has asked the agency for clarification on what “electrical non-compliances” entails, how many hazards have been identified, and where they are within the water park. Postmedia has also reached out to the water park for more information on what electrical non-compliances may have been found.
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On Monday just after 11 a.m., 12 kids who had been visiting the water park experienced an electric shock while touching a metal railing in the queuing area of the Zero-60 Raceway waterslide. Most of the children were students of Port Coquitlam’s Minnekhada middle school who were there as part of a year-end field trip.
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Ten of the children were taken to Abbotsford hospital, while two were airlifted to B.C. Children’s in Vancouver.
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Darin Nielsen, a parent who spoke to Postmedia, later said at least four of the injured kids were discharged or slated for discharge on Tuesday, including his daughter Bella who suffered an electrical burn to her left leg.
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Technical Safety is leading the investigation. Water slides are considered amusement devices, which are regulated by the agency under the Safety Standards Act.
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“When an incident or equipment failure occurs, the operator must make all necessary safety improvements and repairs,” said the agency. “We remain committed to working with them to support their return to operation once all outstanding issues have been corrected.”
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On Tuesday, Andrew Steunenberg, the park’s chief administrative officer, said an initial 48-hour closure had been extended indefinitely.
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