Mystery irritant at B.C. playground causes kids' eyes, skin to burn
A mom in Chilliwack, B.C., says she was terrified after her children were exposed to an unknown irritant at a local playground that caused their skin and eyes to burn.
Deanna Hews says her three kids came running into her store, which is close to where they were playing at Central Elementary School on Friday, in obvious distress with red eyes and itchy skin.
"As a mom it's terrifying to have your kids come running into your store screaming," she said in a video posted online.
She immediately shuttered her store, called the police and took her kids to the hospital, posting a warning on Facebook to other local parents.
"Please do NOT go to the park at central elementary my children have burning eyes face mouth and elbows. Do NOT go there," it read.
The Chilliwack RCMP have confirmed they were called to the playground for a "suspicious occurrence" but could not find "any visible or obvious source of irritant," a spokesperson wrote in an email to CTV News.
The area was blocked off and the equipment was cleaned by custodial staff, Mounties added.
Hews says she is thankful for the swift response from the police and the school district and that her children's symptoms resolved with time and an antihistamine.
"They were so red in the face. It was really hard to see my kids like that it like that," she said in a video posted to Facebook the day after the incident.
"We are OK. A little traumatized. As a mom, when your baby's hurt you hurt so – just very terrifying … I just feel so terrible that this kind of thing happens. It's just so unfair to our children. But I'm really thankful for everybody who's helping us to get this situation under control."
Anyone with information about the incident is urged to call the Chilliwack RCMP at 604-792-4611.
Earlier this year, police in another Metro Vancouver city were also called to investigate after children reported minor injuries due to an irritant on a playground. In that case, the Port Moody Police Department said the "suspicious substance" -- potentially hot sauce –had been deliberately smeared on the equipment.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.