Hilton DoubleTree hotel evacuated in Lower Manhattan after bear spray released
LOWER MANHATTAN (WABC) -- Police are searching for the person who released bear spray inside a hotel in Lower Manhattan on Monday morning, leaving several people injured and forcing hundreds to evacuate.
The issue has been resolved and guests were allowed back in, but authorities had to first ensure the air inside was safe to breathe.
The spray was released on the 20th floor of the DoubleTree by Hilton New York Downtown on Stone Street.
According to authorities, an altercation broke out over luggage sometime around 7:30 a.m. and at least one female guest was sprayed with bear spray - also called bear mace - by a female guest.
"A woman was screaming in the hallway, 'Oh my God, oh my God,' and I opened my door to look out to see if somebody needed help, and she was screaming about being sprayed in the face with mace, and she had tears pouring down her face," said a hotel guest.
Officials say the suspect and victim are known to each other and were both out at a Pride event on Sunday night.
It is believed to have happened on an upper floor and the irritant quickly entered the hotel's centralized air conditioning system and spread throughout the hotel, forcing guests to evacuate.
Dozens of people reportedly suffered from severe sore throats, coughing and breathing issues. EMTs treated those guests on the sidewalk.
Many guests described a noxious smell in the air, making it hard to breathe.
"I thought I was going to faint. I couldn't breathe. Everybody panicked. It was really horrible," said a tourist from Germany. "And we went to the ambulance, and my boyfriend got oxygen and I got water."
The suspect fled the location and is being sought. Police apparently know who they are looking for.
So far, there are no arrests.
The hotel was ventilated and guests were allowed back inside a short time later.
Paul Willis was in town for World Cup action. He saw some great soccer and now has a crazy story to tell as well.
"These things happen. You know, we we're quite relaxed about it," Willi said. "Although we've got flights to catch, and we're all a bit, we're on the clock. But listen, we've had a great time, and it doesn't spoil the experience at all."
But it was a little more traumatic for others.
"You know, my baby is like 2 months old, so we had to be like cover him, we had to delay and we had to just run down the stairs," said one hotel guest. "It was horrific. Like, that that's not what we planned for the day."
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