During an early Thanksgiving celebration at a rental cabin in Duchesne County, Utah, a family faced a dangerous situation as 19 of its members, including 13 children and infants, were hospitalized due to carbon monoxide poisoning.
The incident occurred at Six Lakes Lodge on November 18, 2023, with the family members beginning to show symptoms of carbon monoxide exposure.
The Duchesne County Sheriff’s Office received an emergency call around 2:30 a.m. on Saturday. The family members had started feeling sick on the previous Friday night. Emergency services, including the Altamont Fire Department and ambulances from Altamont and Roosevelt, responded and discovered high carbon monoxide levels in the cabin.
Carbon monoxide, a toxic gas that is colorless and odorless, results from the burning of fuels such as natural gas, propane, gasoline, or wood. In this case, the gas was suspected to have built up in the cabin due to inadequate ventilation or a fault in the equipment. Altamont Fire Chief Josh Phillips located the highest concentrations of carbon monoxide in the utility room in the cabin’s basement.
The first indication of the problem was when an 11-month-old baby became lethargic and pale, leading to immediate hospitalization. Shortly after, a 12-year-old girl was found in an unresponsive state. Family members Jade and Cassidee Smith recounted to KUTV feeling weak and nearly fainting, indicating that something was wrong.
Medical attention was provided to all 19 affected family members, who had dangerously high levels of carbon monoxide in their blood. They received hyperbaric oxygen treatment for two and a half hours, a treatment recognized for its efficiency in treating carbon monoxide poisoning. This therapy involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized setting, which accelerates the elimination of carbon monoxide from the body and decreases the chances of lasting neurological damage.
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning can include headache, dizziness, nausea, chest pain, confusion, and unconsciousness, and can escalate to coma, permanent brain damage, or death in severe cases. High-risk groups include pregnant women, infants, the elderly, and individuals with chronic lung or heart diseases.
The incident has highlighted the critical importance of carbon monoxide detectors in both residential and rental properties. The cabin’s detector had batteries but was found to be inoperative, emphasizing the need for consistent maintenance and testing of these devices. Preventive steps include proper ventilation when using appliances that burn fuel and the installation of effective carbon monoxide detectors.
Dave Nelson, representing Six Lakes Lodge, stated that although the scene had been cleared, investigations into the cause of the incident were ongoing. He reassured that other properties had been examined and were safe from carbon monoxide hazards.
