An Iowa man died Sunday after being hospitalized for nearly two weeks for carbon monoxide poisoning, while his wife remains a survivor of the lethal gas that filled their home, according to the Quad-Cities Times.
John Christiansen, a 59-year-old Davenport man, was at Trinity Pathway Hospice, Bettendorf, when he passed away Sunday. He and his wife Donna were discovered, unresponsive, by one of their sons on Nov. 22, the Quad-Cities Times reported.
The couple was brought to Iowa City on that date. Donna had been treated at University Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City, but the Quad-Cities Times couldn’t confirm whether she is still a patient there or what her condition is.
Last week local fire officials said that the Christiansens sustained carbon monoxide poisoning because of a “improperly installed vent cap on the roof, which appears to be recently installed,” according to the Quad-Cities Times.
When EMTs came to the Christiansen home the day of the incident, John had already been taken out of the house by one or more of the couple’s sons. The medics then helped the family get Donna out of the house,
Local officials are using the tragedy as a teaching moment, telling Iowa residents that they should have carbon monoxide detectors and check fuel-burning devices, the Quad-Cities Times reported.
Donna Christiansen works for the Davenport Public Library System, and her husband had just retired from Rock Island Arsenal.
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