Pensioner accidentally pepper sprays entire spa, injuring 13 people
At around 9.50am on Wednesday, the pensioner began rummaging through her handbag in the entrance of the Keidel Thermal Baths in Freiburg, a city in southwest Germany's Black Forest region.
According to local media, she wanted to show the spray to a friend.
Instead, she accidentally activated the spray, releasing the toxic substance throughout the foyer.
The irritant then reportedly spread throughout the building through the ventilation system.
Thirteen visitors to the thermal baths were affected by the incident and complained of eye irritation.
Emergency services, including police and fire personnel, attended the scene and treated the injured.
According to BILD, the pensioner was one of those injured.
The entire pool was evacuated for around 30 minutes for safety reasons, while the entrance area was mechanically ventilated by emergency services, before guests were allowed to return.
The 80-year-old is reportedly being investigated for negligent bodily harm.
In a statement to The Independent, Oliver Heintz, director of Keidel Mineral-Thermalbad, said:'We regret the incident and the inconvenience caused to our guests.
'The situation was handled quickly and professionally by our team and the emergency services.
'We are in close contact with the authorities and will take the necessary steps to support a thorough clarification.'
The Independent has contacted local police for further comment.
Pepper spray is a non-lethal self-defence tool made from oleoresin capsicum (OC), a chemical derived from hot chilli peppers.
It causes a severe burning sensation in the eyes, skin, and respiratory system, leading to temporary blindness, coughing, difficulty breathing and intense pain.
Pepper spray is illegal to buy, sell or carry in the UK and is classed as an offensive weapon.
In Germany, however, pepper spray is legal for use against animals and people 'in self-defence situations' and can be purchased by people as young as 14 years old.
In 2023, an American Airlines flight was forced to land more than 800 miles from its destination after a passenger released pepper spray into the cabin.
The incident was described by one passenger as 'incredibly scary not being able to breathe'.
According to the US Transportation Security Administration, pepper spray is not allowed in carry-on bags.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
12 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Woman diagnosed with rare sperm allergy after believing she was infertile
A 29-year-old woman who struggled to get pregnant and feared she might be infertile discovered that she was actually suffering from an extremely rare sperm allergy. The unnamed female from Lithuania had been trying to conceive with her male partner but had not become pregnant. Two rounds of IVF also failed to produce a pregnancy, but gynecological exams did not find any underlying causes for why she was unable to become pregnant. After doctors discovered she had a history of asthma and sensitivity to inhaled allergens, such as mold, cat fur, and dust, she visited a medical facility to see if her symptoms might be affecting her fertility. Allergy tests revealed that she had a sensitivity to 'Can f 5', which can cause allergic symptoms after contact with male dog urine, fur, and human semen. In an interview, the patient confirmed that she experienced nasal congestion and sneezing after unprotected intercourse with her male partner. Further tests using samples of semen collected from the woman's partner revealed she had a condition known as seminal plasma hypersensitivity, a rare allergic reaction to proteins found in seminal fluid - the fluid released during orgasm that includes sperm, as well as other bodily secretions. There are less than 100 documented cases of the condition globally and while it doesn't directly cause infertility, it can make it more difficult to conceive. Symptoms of semen allergy - which happens when you have a harmful immune system reaction to proteins in semen - include a change in skin color, burning, and swelling where semen contacts the skin or vaginal tissues. Some people may have a whole-body response, including hives, itching and difficulty breathing. Due to discomfort, this allergy may discourage sexual activity and in some cases, lead to difficulty with conception. However, there are treatment options available to help couples conceive despite the allergy. The Mayo Clinic notes that treatment to make you less sensitive to your partner's semen - such as using antihistamines or corticosteroids - may allow you to get pregnant naturally. Another option is intrauterine insemination (IUI), which uses sperm washed free of semen proteins to prevent a reaction. For those with a severe sensitivity to semen, assisted reproductive technology such as IVF may be an option for pregnancy. It isn't clear why the female patient's IVF treatments did not work, given semen would not have been present in the implanted embryos. Another method used to treat seminal plasma hypersensitivity involves introducing increasing concentrations of semen into the patient's body to build tolerance. However, this treatment plan wasn't available for the woman in her home country, according to a report in Live Science. Instead, doctors recommended that the woman take antihistamine medication before intercourse to reduce the severity of her allergic reactions. She followed their instructions but found this approach 'ineffective'. Three years later, the woman said that she had still been unable to conceive during a follow-up appointment. To make matters worse, new allergic symptoms appeared after contact with her partner's semen, including a 'burning sensation in her vulva, puffy eyelids and watery eyes'. No further treatments were recommended, according to the report and it is unclear if the woman went on to conceive eventually. Dr Michael Carroll, associate professor in reproductive science at Manchester Metropolitan University in England, said seminal plasma hypersensitivity may affect more people than previously thought - and often goes undiagnosed. Writing for The Conversation, he warned it is often mistaken for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), yeast infections, and general sensitivity. But one clue you're in fact 'allergic to sex', is 'symptoms disappearing when condoms are used', he revealed. The sex allergy is now recognized as a 'type 1 hypersensitivity', falling into the same category as peanut allergy, cat dander, and season allergies. Seminal plasma hypersensitivity was first documented in 1967, when a woman was hospitalized after a 'violent allergic reaction' to sex.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
I thought I was infertile... but I have a rare condition that makes me 'allergic to sex'
A 29-year-old woman who struggled to get pregnant and feared she might be infertile discovered that she was actually suffering from an extremely rare sperm allergy. The unnamed female from Lithuania had been trying to conceive with her male partner but had not become pregnant. Two rounds of IVF also failed to produce a pregnancy, but gynecological exams did not find any underlying causes for why she was unable to become pregnant. After doctors discovered she had a history of asthma and sensitivity to inhaled allergens, such as mold, cat fur and dust, she visited a medical facility to see if her allergies might be affecting her fertility. Allergy tests revealed that she had a sensitivity to Can f 5, which can cause allergic symptoms after contact with male dog urine, fur, and human semen. In an interview, the patient confirmed that she experienced nasal congestion and sneezing after unprotected intercourse with her male partner. Further tests using samples of semen collected from the woman's partner revealed she had a condition known as seminal plasma hypersensitivity, a rare allergic reaction to proteins found in seminal fluid - the fluid released during orgasm that includes sperm, as well as other bodily secretions. There are less than 100 documented cases of the condition globally and while it doesn't directly cause infertility, it can make it more difficult to conceive. Symptoms of semen allergy - which happens when you have a harmful immune system reaction to proteins in semen - include a change in skin color, burning and swelling where semen contacts the skin or vaginal tissues. Some people may have a whole-body response, including hives, itching and difficulty breathing. Due to discomfort, this allergy may discourage sexual activity and in some cases, lead to difficulty with conception. However, there are treatment options available to help couples conceive despite the allergy. The Mayo Clinic notes that treatment to make you less sensitive to your partner's semen - such as using antihistamines or corticosteroids - may allow you to get pregnant naturally. Another option is intrauterine insemination (IUI), which uses sperm washed free of semen proteins to prevent a reaction. For those with a severe sensitivity to semen, assisted reproductive technology such as IVF may be an option for pregnancy. It isn't clear why the female patient's IVF treatments did not work, given semen would not have been present in the implanted embryos. Another method used to treat seminal plasma hypersensitivity involves introducing increasing concentrations of semen into the patient's body to build tolerance. However, this treatment plan wasn't available for the woman in her home country, according to a report in Live Science. Instead, doctors recommended that the woman take antihistamine medication before intercourse to reduce the severity of her allergic reactions. She followed their instructions but found this approach 'ineffective'. Three years later, the woman said that she had still been unable to conceive during a follow-up appointment. To make matters worse, new allergic symptoms appeared after contact with her partner's semen, including a 'burning sensation in her vulva, puffy eyelids and watery eyes'. No further treatments were recommended, according to the report and it is unclear if the woman went on to conceive eventually. Dr Michael Carroll, associate professor in reproductive science at Manchester Metropolitan University, said seminal plasma hypersensitivity may affect more people than previously thought - and often goes undiagnosed. Writing for The Conversation, he warned it is often mistaken for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), yeast infections, and general sensitivity. But one clue you're in fact 'allergic to sex', is 'symptoms disappearing when condoms are used', he revealed. The sex allergy is now recognized as a 'type 1 hypersensitivity', falling into the same category as peanut allergy, cat dander, and season allergies. Seminal plasma hypersensitivity was first documented in 1967, when a woman was hospitalized after a 'violent allergic reaction' to sex.
Telegraph
a day ago
- Telegraph
Air ambulance called to Ozzy Osbourne's home before he died
An air ambulance was called to Ozzy Osbourne's country home before he died, it has emerged. The helicopter landed in a field close to Welders House, the Black Sabbath singer's Grade II listed house in Jordans, Buckinghamshire, on Tuesday morning. Urgent calls from the house had led the emergency services to believe Osbourne's life was in danger, MailOnline reported. The singer's death at the age of 76 was announced in a statement by his family on Tuesday night. Police officers are not thought to have attended the property, and the death has not been referred to the county's coroner. The helicopter was reportedly dispatched from the Thames Valley ambulance base at RAF Benson in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, 27 miles from Osbourne's home. It was seen landing at 10.30am before taking off again at around 12.30pm. The crew were airborne for around 15 minutes before landing in the grounds of the house. They were with Osbourne for around two hours, it was reported. One resident, who did not wish to be named, told MailOnline: 'I went out to have a look and saw that it was landing close to Ozzy's house. 'All of us were talking about it and wondering what had happened. We immediately feared it may be for him as he was known to be in fragile health.' A spokesman for Thames Valley Air Ambulance said: 'We can confirm that our helicopter was dispatched to provide advanced critical care at an incident near Chalfont St Giles yesterday.'
