Youngsters in Massachusetts endure chemical burns from slides doused in acid from close by pool

A pair of toddlers in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, suffered chemical burns this weekend after utilizing slides at an area park’s playground that had been doused in muriatic acid.

An unknown suspect had damaged into town pool and stolen muriatic acid, a diluted type of hydrochloric acid used to keep up the pH steadiness in swimming pools in addition to for floor cleansing.

The thief or thieves then poured the chemical on three slides at close by Bliss Park playground.

At round 9:40 a.m. Sunday, the Longmeadow Fire Department responded to the park after the burns had been reported.

An investigation discovered that someday Saturday evening the perpetrator climbed over two fences, ripped off the quilt to a air flow shaft, broke into the pump room for the pool, and stole the acid.

Empty acid jugs had been later present in close by woods, and extra proof, together with fingerprints discovered on the scene, have been forwarded on to labs for evaluation and potential identification of the thief.

At the identical time, firefighters and emergency providers visited the residence of Ashley Thielen and her household. Two of Ms. Thielen’s three kids, a 2-year-old daughter and a 1-year-old boy, had been the victims of chemical burns from the slides.

Ms. Thielen had observed the liquid on the slides, however assumed it was rainwater.

“I didn’t really think much of it, and then, my baby, who is one, just started crying. That was when I knew this liquid that they were around was not water,” Ms. Thielen defined to Springfield, Massachusetts, TV station WGGB.

The wounds turned out to be comparatively superficial and the kids are doing advantageous, the mom mentioned.

Neighbors suspect that the incident is a teen prank gone improper.

“Why would you do that? You don’t want to hurt anybody, especially little kids, the most vulnerable people,” Longmeadow resident Doug Lamont advised Boston station WBZ.

There aren’t any surveillance cameras in Bliss Park, so Ms. Thielen is hoping {that a} neighbor may need recorded the suspects going by on a residential digicam.

“I’m hoping people will check those cameras and see if they see anything out of the ordinary,” Ms. Thielen advised WBZ-TV.