Burlington Splash Pad temporarily shut down following staff member incident

BURLINGTON, N.D. (KMOT) – The splash pad in Burlington will be shut down through the rest of June, and possibly into next month, after a city staff member suffered a scare near the pad Monday.

Burlington Rural Fire Chief Karter Lesmann said he received a phone call Monday afternoon and heard a muffled voice, but could make out the words “chemical” and “pad.”

When the call dropped, he rushed to the scene and found that a maintenance worker had collapsed.

Lesmann said he administered life-saving measures before an ambulance arrived.

It’s unclear at this time exactly what happened, though Lesmann says city records show hydrochloric acid as one of the chemicals used on site.

“We got the individual sent off to the hospital. We, like I said, got it vented out, contained, everything isolated, so that the scene was safe and secure again,” said Lessman.

Lesmann says the staff member has been recovering at home.

The electricity has been shut off at the pad.

He said they have no intention of permanently shutting down the pad, and thanked the community for its patience.

Copyright 2023 KFYR. All rights reserved.