Hellertown Pool Forced to Close After Swimmer Gets Sick In It

The Hellertown Pool was forced to close in the middle of a busy Monday afternoon, after an individual became sick and vomited in the middle of the pool while swimming. The pool was crowded at the time, as temperatures Monday reached the upper 90s.

Pool manager Ed Kolosky said safety regulations necessitated closing the pool for the remainder of the day. Both the incident and the closing it necessitated were unfortunate, he said.

On Sunday nearly 1,500 people visited the Hellertown Pool, Kolosky said.

Kolosky explained that ingesting even a small amount of chlorinated pool water by a child or adult can result in an upset stomach and even vomiting while or after swimming.

“Vomit and fecal incidents must be addressed according to CDC and PA statutes relating to public bathing places,” the Borough of Hellertown said in a posted statement. “Proper disinfection and a period of filtration will kill germs and help prevent recreational water illnesses.”

The borough thanked pool patrons for their understanding and added that the “protection of swimmer health is of the utmost importance.”

Many patrons apparently did not see the post on Facebook, however, as a steady stream of people was observed to slowly drive past the facility in mid-afternoon, with looks of bewilderment upon seeing that the gates were closed and the parking lot was empty.

Visitors to the pool who were forced to leave early when it had to close reportedly had their wristbands signed, and can bring them back to receive free admittance another day.

The pool will reopen at its regular opening time of noon on Tuesday, when the temperature is again forecast to climb well into the 90s.

The pool is open daily this summer from noon to 7 p.m., weather/conditions permitting, through Aug. 25.