Busch Gardens' Restaurant Workers Fall Ill; 4 Hospitalized

By WYDaily Staff Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Fumes from a cleaning solution were the apparent culprit during an incident Monday afternoon at Busch Gardens that left several employees hospitalized.

The James City County Fire Department responded to the park just after 2 p.m. for a report of a patient having difficulty breathing, according to JCCFD spokesman Joe Riley. The first units on the scene found multiple patients being treated for respiratory issues by Busch Gardens' staff.

Ten patients - all employees of the Trappers Smokehouse restaurant in the park's New France area - were evaluated, with four transported to Williamsburg Sentara Regional Medical Center for additional evaluation. No further information about the patients' condition was immediately available.

Firefighters evacuated the restaurant without incident; no guests reported any injury. The hazardous materials response team from the Newport News Fire Department and the regional Virginia Department of Emergency Management Services Hazardous Materials Officer responded to the scene and investigated the source of chemical reaction. JCCFD's Riley said the haz-mat team found no ongoing chemical reactions or existing hazards, and pronunced the situation under control around 5:30 p.m.

Kevin Crossett, a spokesman for Busch Gardens, said in an email Monday night that 10 employees at the Trappers Smokehouse restaurant "had a minor reaction to fumes from a cleaning solution."

He added, "James City County requested that the Newport News hazardous materials team inspect the restaurant as a precautionary measure. The area was cleared with no issues, and the restaurant reopened later in the evening."