Six children rushed to hospital after incident at Letterkenny swimming pool

Six children were rushed to hospital after an incident at a swimming pool in Letterkenny, Co Donegal resulted in them feeling ill.

Letterkenny University Hospital activated its major emergency plan on Saturday morning after an incident at the Aura Leisure Centre which led to it being evacuated.

While some were taken to hospital as a precautionary measure one child has been admitted to intensive care.

A number of people became ill after having a “reaction” in the pool on the outskirts of Letterkenny.

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Up to 60 people were in the pool around the time of the incident. Many were treated at the scene but did not require hospital treatment.

One woman who was in the pool with her children said the children were terrified. “Kids were sick, coughing and vomiting. The kids were all shaking and scared.”

Donegal County councillor Gerry McMonagle, who attended the scene of the incident when he heard what had happened, called for a full investigation.

“What I saw was a fairly chaotic situation but I have to say that the staff and the emergency services were superb.

“Having said that I still feel that a full investigation into what caused this incident needs to be carried out to prevent it happening again,’ he said.

A spokesperson for the Aura Leisure Centre described the incident as “minor”.

“A minor incident occurred at Letterkenny pool this morning. In line with our safety policy our emergency procedures were put in place immediately and, purely as a precautionary measure, the ambulance services were alerted.

“We are grateful for their prompt response. We have no further comment to make at this time.”

The HSE has confirmed that only those who were in the pool at the time of the incident were affected.

Letterkenny University Hospital has since stepped down its major emergency plan.