A B.C. Ambulance Service paramedic wears a uniform while at the central reporting station in Victoria, B.C., on Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito

By The Canadian Press

12 students seriously injured in suspected electrical incident at B.C. waterpark

Jun 15, 2026 | 3:09 PM

CULTUS LAKE — Twelve students were taken to hospital Monday after what appears to have been an electrical incident at a waterpark in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley.

Chilliwack RCMP Cpl. Carmen Kiener confirmed in an email that the children were in stable condition after sustaining “serious but non-life-threatening injuries” at Cultus Lake Waterpark, east of Vancouver.

Ken Hoff, assistant director of communications for the Coquitlam School District, said the students from Minnekhada Middle School were being assessed for unspecified injuries.

The incident occurred during a field trip for Grade 6 and 7 students, he said.

A statement from the waterpark posted on social media says a “serious incident” occurred near one of the rides in the queuing area and several guests, including children, were hurt.

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Andrew Steunenberg, the park’s chief administrative officer, said guests were hurt when they made contact with a railing while in the line-up.

“When they made contact with it, that’s when the incident occurred,” he told a news conference.

BC Emergency Health Services said it dispatched ambulances, advanced care paramedics and other resources to the site.

Two of the 10 people hospitalized had to be transported by air ambulance, it said.

The cause of the incident was still under investigation, with WorkSafeBC taking the lead on the probe, Chilliwack RCMP said Monday.

“At this time, there is no indication that the event was caused by a person, and investigators do not believe it to be the result of deliberate human action,” the Mounties said in a statement, adding there was no ongoing risk to the public.

Steunenberg said his staff wants to get to the bottom of what happened, and that the park won’t reopen until they do.

“We’ve never had an incident ever occur like this before,” he said. “It was very unexpected and it doesn’t align with anything in our safety record up to this point in time.”

BC Hydro said an initial investigation identified an electrical issue originating on the customer’s side, rather than the utility’s infrastructure.

“The safety of the public is our top priority, and we’re continuing to work co-operatively with the waterpark operator and will support the ongoing investigation in any way we can,” the provincial utility said in a statement.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 15, 2026.

The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press