CHARLOTTE, N.C.,None — A mother and her three children were rushed to the hospital Sunday after suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning in their South Charlotte apartment.
Fire investigators said a charcoal grill was being used to cook food and heat the inside of a unit at the Yorktown Apartments of Tyvola Drive.
Firefighters had to kick in the door of the apartment to rescue the family.
Firefighters said they were rescued just in time, thanks to neighbor Edward Kennedy. He woke up to the sound of the carbon monoxide alarm going off in his apartment.
"I saw a bunch of smoke in my house and I immediately went downstairs and checked the apartments and knocked on the door but nobody would respond," Kennedy said. "I heard the babies in the house crying, so I called 911."
There was a carbon monoxide detector in the victims' apartment, but firefighters said it didn't have enough batteries.
"This is the time people are trying to stay warm and we understand the economy has taken a toll on people and people are trying to stay warm," Capt. Mark Basnight from the Charlotte Fire Department said. "We want people to stay warm, but we want people to stay safe and stay alive."
Carbon monoxide poisoning causes flu-like symptoms including headaches, nausea, fatigue, dizziness, confusion and difficulty breathing.
For more information on how to protect your home from carbon monoxide poisoning, call the Charlotte Fire Department at 704-336-3970.