Splash down: People struggle with heat while waiting to enter water park

Several people became overheated while enduring a lengthy wait to enter the Cape Splash water park Saturday, Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation director Julia Jones said.

Temperatures reached the mid-90s over the weekend. On Saturday, the thermometer hit 95 degrees, and with high humidity, the heat index or feel-like temperature topped out at 101 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

Jones said Cape Splash Family Aquatic Center typically can hold 1,000 to 1,200 people at any one time. On Saturday, the park was at capacity with people waiting in line at least an hour for water-park customers to leave so they could be admitted, she said.

�People didn�t want to leave,� Jones said of those already in the park trying to cool off on a hot day.

It was one of the busiest days at the water park since it opened last month for the 2018 season, Jones said, which she credited in part to it being Father�s Day weekend.

Staff handed out bottled water in an effort to cool down those waiting in line, she said.

On Sunday, the parks department closed the city�s municipal pool so staff there could help out at Cape Splash, she said.

Jones estimated that brought to about 40 the number of staff, including lifeguards and concession workers, on duty at the water park Sunday.

�We don�t want people out in the heat,� she said, referring to Saturday�s long waiting line.

The water park is open daily from 11 a.m. to

7 p.m.

Jones suggested people come to the park early in the day to avoid a long wait. If they plan to show up later in the day, Jones said it would be best to contact the parks and recreation staff at (573) 339-6342 to find out whether there is a lengthy wait time.

Meteorologist Robin Smith with the National Weather Service office in Paducah, Kentucky, said the area should see �a little bit of relief� beginning Wednesday. Rather than high temperatures in the mid-90s, the area could experience temperatures of 85 to 90 degrees, Smith said. But the humidity will still be oppressive, he added.

Scattered thunderstorms could pop up from time to time this week, he said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3641