2-29-08
Teachers at Lincoln Elementary School were trying to do the right thing with their kids … but they picked the wrong pool to do it in. Their kindergartners were learning about, of all things, water safety at a local nursing home pool. They ended up getting a hands on lesson of a different kind. After about 30 minutes in the water, the kids started to have difficulties breathing, according to Mary Ellen Marnholtz, spokeswoman for the Wausau School District in Northern Wisconsin.

The culprit: Excessive chlorine levels in the pool. Too much of the chemical sent more than 40 of the kindergartners to area hospitals, and one student remained in critical condition a day later. She was eventually upgraded to fair condition, and was expected to recover.

Chlorine is wonderful for killing germs … in the right amount. It’s also a quite potent chemical, perfectly capable of killing people in concentrated dosages. Pools are supposed to have equipment in place to monitor chlorine levels, but human error can result in mishaps. Be sure to always take complaints of breathing problems seriously whenever children are swimming in a pool. Don’t be afraid to ask a pools owner to check the chlorine levels if you’re unsure.