Middle School Students Hospitalized for Water Poisoning

April 23, 2009

Los Angeles – A Santa Clarita middle school was struck by suspected water poisoning as students got sick shortly after drinking from poisoned water bottles.

According to fire officials from the Los Angeles County Fire Department, at 12:45 p.m., people were reportedly showing signs of illness at the La Mesa Junior High School.

Twelve students reported symptoms of illness and six were taken to a hospital for evaluation. One of the victims, a 14-year-old female student told the authorities that she drank bottled water which she got from a vending machine on the school grounds. According to the girl, it smelled like bleach and the water looked cloudy.

Los Angeles County Fire Department reported that apparently, all patients drank bottled water from the same vending machine. County fire inspector Steve Zermeno who was at the scene said that, “It was not immediately clear what the bottles contained, but it appeared to be a bleach-like substance."

All water bottles from the suspected vending machine were confiscated and removed by the school authorities. The FBI has seized the vending machines for further examination and is now investigating with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department on how the poisoned water bottles got into a vending machine.