Generator Carbon Monoxide Poisonings Still Very Real Threat

Boats are just one place where carbon monoxide poisoning can occur. In the Georgia case, it was a houseboat powered by a generator that sickened two young girls.

Two young girls were poisoned by carbon monoxide in Cobb County, GA, rushed to the hospital after inhaling toxic fumes from a houseboat, according to WBSTV. The source of the poisoning was a generator powering the houseboat, possibly an older model. In 2005, marine generators were manufactured that reduced 99 percent of carbon monoxide emissions. This is just one incident of many cases we have seen of generator carbon monoxide poisonings. From the Georgia incident, the parents were traumatized by experiencing such a close call.

From the children’s mother:

“Emalynne was just laying there. I was holding her. Her eyes were rolling back,” Britni Thomas said. “It’s very hard to describe holding your lifeless child in your arms.”

The doctor in the case said that they may use hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which is the most effective treatment for severe carbon monoxide poisoning. It has been demonstrated that hyperbaric oxygen therapy reduces the chance of cognitive sequelae significantly. The two girls were just having fun on Memorial Day weekend on their grandma’s houseboat, and this call was too close for comfort.

From the children’s father:

“You never want to see your kids with oxygen being given to them, stuck with a lot of needles and IVs,” Marcus Thomas said.

As we have seen with other carbon monoxide poisonings on boats, the back of the boat is the most dangerous part where people can be overcome by fumes. This case is eerily similar to the case of Raven Little-White, who died from a boat carbon monoxide poisoning. The back of the boat, where she was poisoned, is called the “kill zone.” Most people think it is dangerous because of the propeller. In fact, the fumes are dangerous too. It’s estimated that as many as 250 people die each year from drowning due to carbon monoxide poisoning.

Another carbon monoxide poisoning that is called to mind is one earlier this month in the Morgan Park area of Chicago. In this case, as with Raven Little-White, someone died. One woman died, and two other people were injured and taken to hospitals. If they had not been rescued, the fumes were strong enough to have killed them overnight. The source of the fumes was a gas generator being operated indoors. It’s such a shame when we hear about people dying of carbon monoxide poisoning, because it is an entirely preventable tragedy.

The parents of the two girls in Georgia said they are taking extra safety precautions now, staying away from the back of the boat from now on. The Chicago Fire Department issued a reminder on Twitter after the Morgan Park poisoning that nobody should ever operate a gas generator indoors. Hopefully the cases we have mentioned and others will help raise awareness about the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning and tips to prevent it. Gas generators operated indoors can become dangerous in a matter of minutes. It is time that the generator manufacturers began producing low carbon monoxide emission generators, because, as we have stated in our previous blog, this kind of equipment is feasible. Marine generators have gotten there years ago, so it is time for the rest of the industry to adapt to these consumer needs. Enough is enough with these generator carbon monoxide poisonings.