Volcano Bay guest reported shocks hours before Universal closed water park. OSHA is investigating.

June 06-- Jun. 6--Volcano Bay, Universal's water park, had opened less than an hour to the general public Sunday before at least one visitor complained something was wrong.

Wendy Lee, 43, of Winter Haven, said she felt electric currents moving down her legs as she stood in the lazy river. At 9:34 a.m. she also complained to Universal workers of a metallic taste and a humming sound in her head, according to a Universal report that Lee provided to the Orlando Sentinel.

Yet Volcano Bay remained open for hours afterward even as other visitors reported feeling electric shocks -- like they had been "zapped" -- at about 11 a.m. when they walked on the pavement, a tourist from Boston told the Sentinel this week.

Four employees were taken to the hospital later that afternoon when the Orlando Fire Department responded at 4:44 p.m.

The rides reportedly closed early around 6 p.m. Sunday before the entire park shut down, some Universal employees said.

The incident has prompted an OSHA investigation, spokesman Michael D'Aquino confirmed Wednesday.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration received at least one complaint, although D'Aquino could not say how many others the agency might have received.

OSHA came to Universal on Wednesday and the park is working closely with them, Universal spokesman Tom Schroder said in a statement Wednesday evening.

Universal had declined to comment since Sunday.

But more than four hours after the Sentinel published this story online, Schroder sent an email insisting the park was safe and that Universal believes the electrical issue has been fixed, although he did not say what exactly happened.

"We know it is disturbing to feel any level of shock in a water park. We definitely understand and want you to know that the safety -- and trust -- of our guests and team members is vital to us," Schroder said in the email, adding Universal has consulted with "OUC, outside electrical contractors and our own experts" on the issue.

"We have spent the hours and days since Sunday testing and re-testing our electrical system across the entire park. And we have made repairs and modifications to our electrical system," Schroder said. "We believe this has resolved the issue."

All the rides are now open at Volcano Bay, Schroder said Thursday morning.

Schroder defended the park's first response that there had been "technical issues," saying, "We wanted to fully understand what was happening and to what degree -- and then to fix it."

There have been no reports of serious injuries.

Lee, who works for an insurance company, was at the park to celebrate her daughter's middle school graduation with her family. They decided "to really make a day of it" and bought Express Passes to avoid waits for the rides and premium seating, said Lee, a passholder.

Her family decided to relax on the Kopiko Wai Winding River that runs through the iconic volcano of the park. Quickly, the ride was out of the ordinary before Lee circled a full loop, she said.

A lifeguard told Lee she needed to get out of the water since they were closing the ride, she said.

She got up with her tube and began walking toward the exit when a stranger hollered at her to hurry.

A strange sensation, like bee stings, came over her knees down to her feet.

"It was a tingly, prickly current, I guess you'd say. My first split second reaction was maybe they added a chemical to the pool," Lee said.

She could feel the energy in her legs and hurried out of the water. Lee, who found her family, wanted to be checked out to make sure she was OK.

"I went to wipe my face off with my hand. My hand was shaking like a leaf," Lee said.

She was attended to by paramedics and a private ambulance company, AMR Orlando, at the park. Orlando city officials did not have any records of 911 calls made Sunday at Volcano Bay, a spokeswoman said

"Our medical staff asked each guest if they wanted to go to the hospital. All said no," Schroder said. He said the situation didn't warrant calling 911.

Universal refunded her money, and the family ate a free lunch. But they were ready to go back home, Lee said, and cut their day short after the stress from the morning.

"The part of the story that really irked me the most [was] when we were leaving the park, they were steadily letting people in," Lee said. "No communication ... like it was a big secret."

Mark Voigtsberger, who runs a Port St. Lucie-based company that does electrical testing, speculated that Lee experienced "electric shock drowning" with low voltage, which can cause paralysis.

"When you start thinking about a kid in water that's deep, that could have been more serious to a small child," said Voigtsberger, who runs Utility Testing and Geographic Information System.

Over the years, there have been some high-profile incidents involving electricity, including at Universal where a ride technician was electrocuted and killed in 2016 while he worked on the Men in Black: Alien Attack ride.

An 11-year-old New York girl died in 2012 when she was electrocuted as she reached into a small pond to retrieve her ball while playing mini golf at an Orange County time share.

Two police horses died in downtown Orlando in 1997 within a week of each other.

The deaths of Cheyenne II and Partner's Pride were blamed on metal horseshoes, wet grass and an electrical charge that authorities believed was leaking from underground wires that had helped power a light on West Robinson Street.

Got a news tip? [email protected] or 407-420-5470; Twitter, @GabrielleRusson

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