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OTTUMWA, IOWA -- The City of Ottumwa is putting rumors to rest concerning snakes being found in the indoor pool at the Beach Ottumwa.

On Wednesday, the city received several complaints after a swim practice, saying that there were snakes found in the indoor pool at the facility.

Ottumwa Parks Director and Beach Ottumwa Manager Gene Rathje immediately looked into the situation, however no snakes were found Wednesday or Thursday morning.

“The next morning, me and two city employees, including the animal control officer, did a very thorough search for any snakes; including the floor drains, locker room, pool area where people claimed they saw snakes; we couldn’t find anything. We looked everywhere. It is not impossible. The Beach is in a low-lying area next to a river and a pond, but we didn’t find anything,” said Rathje.

Rathje continued to tell KTVO that the pool and the facility are in great shape and open for business. As for the rumors about snakes, Rathje says that in this region of the state, they would not be poisonous. Rathje says that in the colder months, because snakes are cold blooded, they tend to try to find warmer areas to go because of the change in season.

The city wants to stress that no snakes were found in the facility.