One of Austin’s most popular swimming holes, Hamilton Pool, is now closed for the foreseeable future after two unexplained deaths and a hospitalization in just over one month.
Dan Perry, western district manager for Travis County Parks, said the closure is meant to give authorities a chance to figure out what went wrong and how to increase safety at the pool in the future. But as a result of nobody knowing what caused these awful incidents, that means the pool will remain closed until they feel it is safe again.
Speaking to The Austin-American Statesman recently, Perry expressed the bewilderment that’s brought about the closure. “Right now we don’t know what has caused this little rash of incidents,” he said. “Being a natural formation, there may or may not be things that we can do.”
Perry insists that cleanliness has nothing to do with the deaths and injury, but they’re even going to double check that angle. “Basically what we are doing is trying to get with some other water professionals to find out what’s going on — to see if there is a trend going on with the incidents or see if there is anything we can do to make the area safer for the public,” Perry added.
As for when the pool will be back open again for use, it’s impossible to say. All we know is that no swimming is allowed at Hamilton Pool until further notice, and that’s a major bummer.
Featured photo: Hamilton Pool, Wikimedia Commons
