Get you up to speed: Two waterparks forced to close over disgusting ‘brown challenge’ spreading across Spain | News World
Two pools at the Caribe Aquatic Park in PortAventura World, Tarragona, were closed after faeces were discovered, part of a trend known as the ‘brown challenge’. The situation has since returned to normal, although authorities have not confirmed if those responsible have been identified.
Authorities confirmed that the closures at Caribe Aquatic Park occurred due to the detection of faeces in two pools, necessitating immediate evacuation and extensive cleaning protocols in line with regulations set by the Public Health Agency of Catalonia (ASPCAT). Approximately 50 municipalities across Spain have issued public alerts to combat similar incidents, as over 300 pools have already been closed for cleaning in recent years due to the ongoing “brown challenge” trend.
Theme park officials at PortAventura World emphasised that visitor safety is their top priority and stated they “rigorously applied all the health protocols established by current regulations and the Public Health Agency of Catalonia.” In response to the ongoing trend of the ‘brown challenge’, authorities have implemented fines between £1,000 and £5,000 for offenders, with around 50 municipalities issuing public alerts to address the issue.
What remains unclear — It is not clear whether the individuals responsible for the recent incidents at Caribe Aquatic Park have been identified.
Two Spanish waterparks close due to ‘brown challenge’ incidents
More pools in Spain have been targeted by the ‘brown challenge’ (Picture: portaventuraworld.com)
It appears the revolting ‘brown challenge’ is still going strong, as it’s forced two Spanish pools to close due to connected incidents.
For those fortunate enough to still be blissfully unaware of this disgusting trend, never fear, as we can fill you in.
In recent years, Instagram and TikTok users have taken it upon themselves to try and get public pools to close by either pooing in the water or releasing it from a bag inside their swimwear.
It’s caused a serious public health crisis, with the so-called ‘prank’ already leading to the closure of more than 300 pools in Spain, which had to be cleaned thoroughly and remain closed to the public for 24 to 48 hours by law.
And now, two more pools at a Caribbean-themed waterpark can be added to the list of victims.
The closures affected an area for adults and another for children at the Caribe Aquatic Park inside the PortAventura World resort on the Costa Dorada in the east coast province of Tarragona.
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Popular with British and Irish holidaymakers, the waterpark attracts around 5.3 million visitors per year and was full of tourists who were ordered out after faeces were spotted.
Footage soon made its way to social media, and it left little to the imagination as the evacuation procedures got underway.
‘This isn’t AI – this is reality. If you’re at Caribe Aquatic Park, you’ll have seen it. We’re all out of the pool.’
Another swimmer affected by the closures described ‘moments of tension’, adding: ‘Both pools, the adult one and the children’s one, had to be completely evacuated after someone apparently carried out the famous “summer challenge.”
‘Luckily, the quick response of the lifeguards and all the park staff prevented the situation from getting worse.’
Holiday spots and tourist attractions in Spain are becoming public health hazards (Picture: Shutterstock/saiko3p)
Criticising whoever was responsible, they asked: ‘Do you really have to go this far to pull a prank?
‘The kinds of challenges can have very serious consequences.’
Theme park officials also told local media in a statement: ‘The safety and well-being of our visitors is our top priority, and our team is trained and prepared to manage this type of situation with the utmost diligence and efficiency.
‘We rigorously applied all the health protocols established by current regulations and the Public Health Agency of Catalonia (ASPCAT).
‘Specifically, in the event of any detection and presence of faeces, vomit or other visible organic waste in the water, swimming is immediately prohibited until the situation is normalised after the corresponding protocol has been applied.’
Thankfully, the situation has returned to normal following the incident on Tuesday afternoon, though there were unconfirmed claims on social media today that the grim stunt had since been repeated there.
Authorities are trying to crack down on the grim behaviour by handing out hefty fines (Picture: Pau Barrena/AFP via Getty Images)
One user of the pools at the Caribe Aquatic Park said: ‘The incident that was reported on happened on Tuesday, but on Wednesday it occurred again. I was there that afternoon.’
An enraged local declared: ‘I’d make those responsible clean the toilets with their tongues.’
It was not immediately clear this afternoon if those behind the disgusting prank had been identified.
However, authorities have not been messing around when it comes to consequences, as fines ranging from £1,000 to £5,000 have been brought in to punish offenders.
Those caught are, of course, banned from the pool as well, as you’d hope.
Pools have also been enforcing police surveillance, although catching the offenders can prove tricky, since pools cannot install cameras or demand ID on entry.
Currently, around 50 municipalities have issued public alerts in a bid to crack down on the behaviour.
Over the past couple of years, the nasty prank has caused major issues for public pools in Spain, many of which are either small-town pools used by families or tourist hotspots.
As well as having to legally remain closed for sometimes two days while cleaning and filtering takes place, pools must test the water several times to ensure it is safe before reopening.
Sometimes, the pools must be drained and refilled completely, which can prove extremely costly.
This is because faeces can transmit viruses that pool chlorine does not kill, including norovirus; bacteria such as Salmonella; and parasites such as Cryptosporidium.
If swimmers accidentally swallow or inhale the dirty water, it can cause problems like stomach pains, vomiting, fever, diarrhoea, and more.
Children are most vulnerable as they swallow more water while swimming.
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