1 dead, 2 flown to hospital after suspected carbon monoxide poisoning

ICARD, N.C. — Investigators believe carbon monoxide poisoning might have killed a 50-year-old man and made two others so sick they had to be airlifted to a hospital in Burke County last weekend.

It happened in a camper along Fox Drive, south of Icard, on Feb. 1.

Firefighters at the Icard Township Fire Department said they did not know when the initial call came in that it was a carbon monoxide problem, but when they got inside the camper, they found a small heater connected to a 20-pound propane tank and used needles.

Officials said a family member found the three people after not hearing from them. The two people who were rushed to the hospital, a 33-year-old woman and a 27-year-old man, are being treated in a hyperbaric chamber in an effort to get the carbon monoxide out of their system.

“They had no idea there was a leak,” one of the victim’s sisters Allie Brown said. “They fell asleep and weren’t waking up. It’s a scary situation. I could have lost my sister and she could have been gone forever.”

Channel 9′s Dave Faherty spoke with the Icard Township Fire Chief Brand Lingerfelt about the dangers of carbon monoxide.

“In small areas, you see the levels rise a lot quicker than in larger spaces,” Lingerfelt said. “Anytime you are in campers, tents, even basements, be sure to have those devices in place. Symptoms with carbon monoxide can be headaches, general weakness, some respiratory distress.”

Neighbor Carl Richardson showed us where he has carbon monoxide detectors throughout his home. He said he could hear firefighters and paramedics scrambling to get to the camper and hopes what happened is a reminder for everyone of the importance of CO detectors.

“My heart goes out to them,” Richardson said. “The loss of a life, it’s bad. I mean the gas will overcome you before you can do anything, before you can do anything.”

Richardson said like a smoke detector, it’s important to check the battery in your CO detector.

Family members told Channel 9′s Dave Faherty the conditions of the two people flown to the hospital is improving.

Carbon monoxide scare at North Carolina public housing complex Carbon monoxide scare at North Carolina public housing complex

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