A routine afternoon turned catastrophic for a pet store in Fox Lake, Illinois, when a 2,000-gallon display tank suddenly burst, sending water rushing across the floor and wiping out much of the store's fish population.
What happened?
While the Somethin' Fishy Pets store was closed Monday afternoon, a massive aquarium inside the store gave way.
The shattering of the tank sent about 2,000 gallons of water through the shop, and ABC7 Chicago reported that many of the store's 350-plus fish died.
NBC Chicago later shared a video of the tank giving way and pouring its contents onto the shop floor.
The owners have not determined the exact cause, but they believe the problem may have started when a seam near the top failed without warning.
Co-owner Derric Johnson described the scene, telling ABC7: "I was just carrying something over here, and you just hear, like, a loud break. I can't even describe the noise, and then a whole bunch of water rushing."
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The large aquarium had long been one of the store's defining features, and the current owners had been updating it before it failed.
What's being done?
As the flooding spread, the owners tried to save as many fish as possible. Co-owner Nicole Georgean explained to the outlet that, "We were in the parking lot scooping up fish as water's roaring out the foundation of the building. We did everything we could. Unfortunately, there was a lot lost, but we did save a couple dozen."
Cleanup started quickly, and ABC7 Chicago reported that much of the flood damage had already been cleared away.
Help has also come from around the Fox Lake community. Customers and the store's landlord have offered support, and a family friend started a GoFundMe campaign to help replace the tank.
"Lots of people come here. They go see a movie, come here, see the display tank. This is actually the heart of our business; so it was absolutely devastating," Georgean added.
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