Teens suffer rash from Fargo hotel pool, sparks safety discussion

FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) – A local mom is raising safety concerns after she says her family members were left with rashes following a swim in a hotel pool.

What was supposed to be a fun, normal pool outing quickly turned south for the Moorhead family when three boys went swimming at the Holiday Inn Express, located at 4711 19th Avenue South in Fargo.

Within a few hours, they knew something was wrong.

Lori Braun, mom, said, “They had decided to leave because they weren’t feeling well. By the time my youngest got home, he was very irritated, agitated, and just in pain.”

They all claim to have contracted a similiar, itchy rash on their upper thighs. Lori, who works at a different hotel, said it’s a reaction from extreme chlorine levels.

She explained, “I work at a hotel. I know that chlorine and chemical levels have to be monitored, and when they’re not monitored, you have to “shock” the system, and it has to be closed for a certain number of hours.”

To the family’s surprise, “…it never closed. If it was, it wasn’t closed for the right amount of time,” the boys’ mom added.

It also seems like they weren’t the only ones.

“We called the hotel to alert them and let them know this was happening, and the gentleman who answered said he had another complaint and was talking on the phone with his manager already,” Braun said.

The concerned mother took to social media explaining the situation, warning others of pool chemical precautions.

The post has over 50 comments detailing similar situations at hotels across the Fargo-Moorhead area.

Valley News Live went to several hotels in the area, including The Holiday Inn, who all weren’t available for comment at that certain time.

For now, Lori is using her own hotel experience to educate others.

She said, “Hotel pools have those emergency exit doors that open to outside. A lot of people don’t know this, but they often open those doors to air out the chlorine levels. That’s actually the opposite of what you’re supposed to do, you’re really doing more damage.” She explained when you open the doors, you’re releasing air pressure, which is key in balancing healthy levels of chlorine.

She also said some of the best things to do to avoid any kind of skin irritation is to shower with fresh water before and after swimming, and notify hotel employees if you think anything is wrong.

“That’s what we’re here for. We’re here to help,” she added.

The boys’ rashes eventually went away in a couple of days. According to MedicalNewsToday, if you ever run into a problem like this, you can apply a cold compress to the area, and put hydrocortisone cream on the rash. If symptoms don’t go away within a few days, it’s best to check with your doctor.

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