Camden County residents find ways to endure dangerous heat with waterpark fun

MOUNT LAUREL, New Jersey (WPVI) -- As temperatures are expected to climb dangerously high over the next few days, people are looking to cool off in any way they can.

For some, it was a trip down the lazy river or standing under a giant bucket of water at The Funplex in Mount Laurel, New Jersey.

"As soon as we walked in my friend was like, 'Let's go to the lazy river.' And we just walked around there and cooled off because it is hot and we've been in the water since we walked in," said Marchelle Coleman from Willingboro, New Jersey.

Managers at The Funplex are expecting big crowds in the coming days.

"We're going to be seeing a big old group of people coming in, especially this weekend. Saturday we're looking at 97 degrees, so this park is going to be packed," said Director of Operations Cooper Terrell.

They say they're also keeping safety in mind by keeping workers in the shade as much as possible and giving out extra cold treats.

"We have supervisors going around making sure there's plenty of water and we also have ice pops we give out to our employees as well," said Terrell.

With temperatures soaring well into the 90s over the next few days, Camden County officials declared a heat advisory from Thursday to Saturday.

Officials want people working outside to take frequent breaks and drink plenty of water.

And if you have air conditioning, make sure it's working.

"With the humidity it makes it feel so much hotter. Especially for the elderly and people who have medical conditions," said Fran Kenney, a registered nurse with the Camden County Dept. of Health.

"They're even more susceptible to having problems. Lightheadedness, heart problems, they can feel the effects of the heat and humidity even worse," added Kenney.

Officials are encouraging people to check on their neighbors over the next few days, especially if they're high risk.

Cooling centers in New Jersey are listed here: https://www.nj211.org/nj-cooling-centers

Philadelphia leaders also declared a heat emergency for Friday and Saturday.