Originally published April 22, 2008 at 12:00 AM | Page modified April 22, 2008 at 8:46 PM
No problems found at pool where four swimmers were stricken
Investigators found no air, water or mechanical problems to explain Monday's incident at a Kenmore pool, in which teen girls at a synchronized-swim practice had to be resuscitated and hospitalized.
Seattle Times staff reporters
An initial investigation into what led to four members of a girls synchronized swim team being sent to hospitals Monday found nothing relating to water quality or mechanical issues at the Kenmore swimming pool that would explain the incident, Public Health Seattle & King County reported today.
"It does appear that water quality was not an issue at the pool yesterday," said Hilary Karasz, department spokeswoman.
Health-department investigators, at the pool Tuesday, found nothing relating to water quality, air quality or mechanical operations that would explain the event, Karasz said.
"There was no indication chlorine levels were in any way out of normal," she said.
The pool was filled with swimmers doing laps as usual today, visible through floor-to-ceiling windows framing the water.
Investigators now will move to other methods to try to determine what happened at the pool, including interviewing witnesses and victims, reviewing logbooks and other records, Karasz said. That's likely to take several days, she added. Such a review is required by state regulations when such an incident takes place, she said, although the pool remains in operation.
"One thing we can say is there's nothing that's going to put the public at risk," she said.
The incident took place about 5:30 p.m. Monday when the girls, 13 and 14, were practicing holding their breath underwater at a synchronized-swimming practice.
Rachael Hublou, 16, a lifeguard, said she was teaching a swimming lesson on the other side of the pool when she saw the girls' coach jump in fully clothed.
"Then she came out with a girl that was completely limp and blue," Hublou said.
Hublou performed CPR on the girl, and the coach went back into the pool to retrieve two other girls still at the bottom. Two other lifeguards and a pool manager helped the coach resuscitate the three girls, she said.
It wasn't clear where the fourth girl was or what her circumstances were in the incident.
![]()
Two of the girls were taken to Evergreen Hospital Medical Center in Kirkland, where they were treated and released, said Mark Woodward, Evergreen spokesman.
One girl was taken to Children's Hospital & Regional Medical Center in Seattle. Her condition wasn't available. Another girl was taken to Group Health's Eastside campus and is being released today, according to a Group Health spokesman.
The Carole Ann Wald Memorial Pool is located at St. Edward State Park, at the northeast end of Lake Washington. The pool is operated under a five-year contract with the State Parks Department that began in 2004, after the state took over operation of the pool in 2000 from King County, according to parks information. The state then found the pool was too expensive to continue in operation and considered closing it, but entered into the agreement with a nonprofit agency to keep the pool open.
Peyton Whitely: 206-464-2259 or pwhitely@seattletimes.com.
Staff reporter Sonia Krishnan contributed to this story.
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
Senate Democrats split on health bill's fate
UPDATE - 06:32 PM
SC gov faces 37 charges he broke state ethics laws
U.K. started planning early for war, leaked papers show
Vaccine to kill nicotine buzz now in late tests by small drug firm
India's feeling bruised even before White House visit

Real Salt Lake wins MLS Cup
Real Salt Lake defeated the Los Angeles Galaxy with penalty kicks after 120 minutes of play at Qwest Field in Seattle.
general classifieds
Garage & estate salesFurniture & home furnishings
Sporting goods
just listed
42" Hitachi Plasma 1080i - $500
8 Drawer Dresser with Attached Mirror - $200
8 seat pecon formal dining table and china hutch - $1500
More listings
POST A FREE LISTING
shopping
Give yourself a treat and visit Watson Kennedy's Holiday Open Houses
More minding the store
events for Monday, Nov. 23
- Castle Discount with Military ID
- CraftsGiving
- Alhambra 20 Percent Off Jewelry Sale
- Dish It Up! Totally Truffles
editors' picks
- Phinney Ridge & Greenwood shopping
- Independent video stores
- Pioneer Square shopping
- Garden furnishings
- 'The Road' takes Viggo Mortensen to Mount St. Helens and Astoria, Ore.
- Tugboat sinks at Seattle waterfront pier
- Illegal workers quietly let go
- Child-support error costs nearly $21,000
- Vikings easily beat the Seahawks
- Craigslist adoption ad: A plea by young mother-to-be? A scam?
- Chase shrugs off loss of CD investors
- Woman stabbed by stranger in North Seattle
- Snow piles up on Cascade slopes
- Denny Triangle gains skyline, but tenants slow to come
- Illegal workers quietly let go
374 - Climate change speeds up since 1997 Kyoto accord
210 - Vikings easily beat the Seahawks
171 - Metro won't cut bus service after all
156 - New Husky recruit: Enes Kanter
98 - Historic health care bill clears Senate hurdle
95 - Tattoos at Mill Creek Church pierce skin, soul
83 - Middleton says Huskies "plan on scoring at least 50 points'' Saturday
82 - Jerry Brewer: Seahawks can't lean on the Hutch Crutch now
74 - Seattle woman charged with knife attack on boyfriend's ex
66
- Sprouts, raw fish on attorney's 'do not eat' list
- Tattoos at Mill Creek church pierce skin, soul
- Food-safety lawyer's wish: Put me out of business
- Illegal workers quietly let go
- Architects, chefs find 'kid' within to build Gingerbread Village
- Rediscovering Moab, 'the most beautiful place on Earth'
- It's possible to recover a life lost to hoarding
- Child-support error costs nearly $21,000
- 'The Road' takes Viggo Mortensen to Mount St. Helens and Astoria, Ore.
- Taste | The Great Pie Bake-off pits friends and fruit

