5 Dead in CO Poisoning in Pa.

blrman07 · Post by **blrman07** » Mon. May. 05, 2014 7:08 am

A tragic situation that could have been avoided had people used their heads. Two adults and three children are dead from CO after the adults partied all night. The heat for the "party cabin" was from an unvented propane heater. Apparently there wasn't enough ventilation in the cabin and every one inside died. Some common sense would have averted this idiotic loss of life. Unvented propane heater, alcohol, no CO monitors, and just plain stupidity.

Stupid and Tragic.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/adults-kids-fo ... n-23578664

Rev. Larry
New Beginning Church
Ashland Pa.

smokerdude · Post by **smokerdude** » Mon. May. 05, 2014 8:06 am

Been by there a thousand times and never knew there was a cabin back in there. Maybe people drop their guard in a confined area like that because propane is such a "clean burning" fuel. Very sad

Post by **Lightning** » Mon. May. 05, 2014 8:46 am

Wow what a tragedy... I'm so glad I did away with propane. Not that coal can't do the same thing of course. Before coal and this forum I was dumb about carbon monoxide. At least now I'm aware and can monitor it.

Usually tragic events like this are due to a combination of factors. That's terrible...

GA cracker · Post by **GA cracker** » Mon. May. 05, 2014 9:29 am

This is sad. Years ago I used "ventless" small propane heaters in a pop up camper WITH detectors, I may have just been lucky.
Cracker

whistlenut · Post by **whistlenut** » Mon. May. 05, 2014 9:39 am

I often wonder how many fail to understand the 'Odorless, colorless, tasteless'........warnings. At ANY refill station, they are prominently displayed for the world to see... Worse than 'sad', but hopefully the news and safety related info that comes out once again will save countless others.

NJJoe · Post by **NJJoe** » Mon. May. 05, 2014 10:00 am

I never liked unvented appliances.

Sunny Boy · Post by **Sunny Boy** » Mon. May. 05, 2014 10:51 am

Very sad that type of tragedy continues in this day.

I remember the same, "clean burning " claims misleading many people with the kerosene catalytic heaters that became popular when oil prices spiked during the late 1970's. Because of similar tragedies, within a few years they were banned in many places.

Even the oil lamps that some folks use, many seem clean burning because of using "lamp oil", but they produce CO. And even small doses of CO can become deadly because it can accumulate in our system. I have many antique oil lamps that I've converted to electric in such a way that within minutes they can be easily swapped back to oil use. But I will only use them with oil during power outages and then, only with good cross ventilation.

A buddy almost lost his wife with her doing short winter drives to night school with a leaky exhaust system in her car. She got a little dose of CO each evening on the 20 minute drive to school, another on the way home. More each day before the previous night's dose was completely out of her system. By the end of a week she was too sick to go anywhere except the Doc who caught it in time.

CO is many times more easily absorbed in our systems than oxygen. It then blocks oxygen absorption by the blood cells.

Paul

hcarlow · Post by **hcarlow** » Mon. May. 05, 2014 11:12 am

As a retired fire fighter I know all to well of the consequences of carbon monoxide . I was a pump operator at a fire parked between large buildings on both sides of the street and was overcome from the fumes from mine and other apparatus their. That was one of 3 times I ended up in the hospital due carbon monoxide . It creeps up on you without even noticing it .

Sunny Boy · Post by **Sunny Boy** » Mon. May. 05, 2014 11:28 am

And, there are other sources of CO from non-hydrocarbon burning that many are not aware of.

One I know is, methylene chloride (dichloromethane), the main solvent in many paint strippers. When it's fumes are breathed in, it breaks down into CO in our systems.

Paul

coalkirk · Post by **coalkirk** » Mon. May. 05, 2014 1:37 pm

Unvented gas appliances = room vented, lung filtered appliances=stupid. Sorry people died but these things should not even be legal. Oxygen depletetion sensor my ass!

Hambden Bob · Post by **Hambden Bob** » Mon. May. 05, 2014 4:56 pm

Dammit ! This really knocks the Bottom Right Out Of The Barrel......I mean,this hurts like Hell. Generally Speaking,No One wants to Snuff Out the Lives Of Their Kids,Nor Themselves. A lot of Folks are Flying Blind In Life. This is one of the really terrible examples. It's one of the reasons I Love this Place. We try to get the Word Out. The Tip on Solvent Fumes converted in Our Lungs To Bloodstream is Priceless. Keep trying to get the Word Out,and don't get Discouraged when Someone looks at You like You've got Horns sticking out of Your Head......I Hate The Preventables....

samhill · Post by **samhill** » Mon. May. 05, 2014 5:31 pm

I know all too well about CO, a steel mill is one of the worse places & the hardest thing was that if you saw someone go down you head the opposite way & sound the alarm with location. Better to have to have one down than two but a hard thing to do none the less, some areas were well known & others were just random from wind change.

rubicondave33 · Post by **rubicondave33** » Mon. May. 05, 2014 6:23 pm

What I'm wondering is, why did the host of the party sleep in his truck?

davidmcbeth3 · Post by **davidmcbeth3** » Mon. May. 05, 2014 9:41 pm

Unvented appliances are only to be used for 2 hrs max out of 24 hrs ...

blrman07 · Post by **blrman07** » Tue. May. 06, 2014 7:05 am

Where did you find that vent free appliance can only be used for two hours out of 24?

Rev. Larry
New Beginning Church
Ashland Pa.