No, it’s not some sort of biblical plague.
But residents of one Florida community want some answers after an industrial accident resulted in a nearby river turning blood red.
On Tuesday, Lee Memorial Hospital in Fort Myers admitted that a mistake by one of its contractors resulted in gallons of red dye being dumped into a nearby storm drain – and thus inadvertently into the river, causing its dramatic colour change.
“The dye is 99 per cent water and is not a hazardous substance,” hospital spokesperson Mary Briggs said in an email to USA Today. “Less than five gallons was discharged into the drain pipe and no harm has occurred.”
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The incident occurred Tuesday afternoon when several residents noticed that Manuels Branch Creek had turned red. Manuels Branch Creek feeds into the Caloosahatchee River.
“My first thought, my first feeling was, there was a chemical in the water,” local science teacher Nathan Dyke told NBC-2 News in Florida.
“I’ve never seen the water look like this before.”
In a statement to media, Lee Memorial said independent contractor NALCO Water Treatment was using the dye to check for leaks in the water system when several gallons were inadvertently dumped into a storm drain.
According to a safety sheet provided by NALCO, the dye is non-flammable, non-carcinogenic, and presents a “low” hazard risk for humans.
The hospital says it has plugged the storm drain, and continues to work with NALCO and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to determine if there is any risk.
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