Mystery Substance Turns Pool Neon Yellow, Prank Creates Costly Chemical Hazard [Video]

A mystery substance has turned a family pool yellow — and resulted in a chemical waste mess that could prove to be financially disastrous for a cash-strapped single mom already working two jobs. The Rush family of Ponca, Oklahoma was shocked to discover the neon yellow pool water on the morning of July 13.

Police believe that the still-unknown perpetrators dumped the chemicals on the night of July 12.

Now the Ponca City Police Department is offering a $1,000 reward to anyone who drops a dime on the vandals who dumped the mystery chemicals in the pool. If you can help, call (405)-424-4444.

Watch the video for amazing KFOR images of the bright yellow pool. And scroll down for a still photo of the mess.

As you’ll see, the family at first thought someone had dumped bright yellow paint in the pool as a prank.

But if you’ve shopped for paint lately, you already know that doesn’t make sense. At $20 a gallon, that’s a lot of money to spend just to hate on this family.

According to KFOR, the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture tested the water to determine exactly what the chemicals are. Lona Rush said Thursday on her Facebook page that the authorities now know what the yellow pool mystery substance is but they haven’t yet freely released that information — and maybe it’s just as well.

We don’t need copycats thinking this is a cool idea to ruin somebody else’s summer.

Meanwhile, the family can’t just pull the plug and let the mystery substances from the yellow pool enter the ground water. Ugh.

The first report from KFOR said the Rushes would have to pay to have it hauled away to be disposed of safely — a process which will cost thousands. And it’s money that single mom Lona Rush simply doesn’t have.

Darian Rush, Lona’s 19-year-old daughter, seemed baffled: “I didn’t think [anybody] really hated us that much to do that.”

If it was haters, their cool plan to spoil the Ponca family’s summer by the pool may be foiled.

In her Thursday Facebook update, Rush revealed that she has now spoken with the commissioner of water district 3: “Some good news folks. The commissioner of water district 3 came by personally and has said they are formulating a plan to remove the water free maybe next week. Woo hoo.”

But for now the color hasn’t faded and the bright yellow pool is beginning to give off a foul smell.

If the mystery substance in the yellow pool was meant to be funny, nobody’s laughing.

[mystery substance in her yellow pool photo by Lona Rush via Facebook]
[rubber duck photo by photo credit: drothamel via photopin cc]