Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Sends 11 To The Hospital In New London, Wis.

Here’s why you need carbon monoxide detectors in your dwelling.

Nearly a dozen people in New London, Wis., were hospitalized and released Sunday for carbon monoxide poisoning after a leak of the deadly gas in their apartment building, according to The Post-Crescent of Appleton. 

http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20111030/APC0101/111030012/Update-11-hospitalized-after-carbon-monoxide-leak-New-London?odyssey=tab|topnews|img|FRONTPAGE

New London firefighters evacuated the 16-unit apartment building at 505 Oakridge Lane, with at least 11 residents winding up in the hospital, according to The Post-Crescent. An ambulance arrived on on the scene around 6 a.m. in response to a call of four people feeling sick. The four all lived in the same apartment unit.

One teen-aged girl was found on her bed unconscious, but she was revived, the local newspaper reported.

Six people were transported to New London Family Medical Center; three to St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton; and two to Riverside Medical Center, according to The Post-Crescent. But two of the residents first sent to New London had to be transferred to St. Elizabeth so they get treatment in a hyperbaric chamber.

A hot water heater in the apartment building’s basement had a broken exhaust pipe, and fire officials believe that was the source of the carbon monoxide leak.

One elderly resident of the apartment building told The Post-Crescent that it doesn’t have carbon monoxide detectors. 

The city fire inspector and building inspector will be paying a visit to the building’s landlord Monday. Let’s hope that they recommend CO detectors.