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A vacation for Thanksgiving at a rented cabin in the forest quickly became a terrifying situation as 19 relatives were affected by carbon monoxide poisoning.
Jade Smith and his family had made reservations for a vacation at the Six Lakes Lodge in Duchesne County, Utah, during the holiday season.
While on vacation, he mentioned that each of them became ill, one after the other, due to the release of the “silent killer” into the air.
Seven of the family members stopped responding.
Thankfully, they removed everyone from the premises prior to the exposure becoming deadly.
Mr. Smith told KUTV that it was frightening, but also fortunate.
“If one event had occurred differently, this story would have been about the discovery of 19 bodies in a cabin.”
According to Cassidee Smith, the spouse of Mr. Smith, she and her sister Jacqueline first noticed something was wrong on Friday when they both began to feel faint.
She stated that she repeatedly informed Jade that something was amiss.
Shortly after, a family member discovered the couple’s 11-month-old baby appearing weak and having a pale complexion.
The baby was promptly taken to the hospital.
Later on, she mentioned that she and her spouse had taken a short break to rest, but were abruptly awoken by her sister’s panicked cries that her 12-year-old niece was not responding.
According to the outlet, Ms. Smith attempted to stand up and address the emergency, but she also lost consciousness as she stood.
Shortly after, Jacqueline lost consciousness and struck her head against the ground.
During that time, I thought to myself, “There are three people here, my wife is upstairs and unable to move, and there seems to be something in the air,” recalled Mr. Smith.
He mentioned that our number of unresponsive individuals increased from one to four within a span of five minutes.
The family had made reservations for a Thanksgiving trip at a cabin, unaware of what was going to happen.
Previously, the family was unaware that the air in their home was being filled with carbon monoxide, putting everyone at risk of serious harm.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, carbon monoxide, a gas without odor or color, causes the death of approximately 400 Americans annually and requires hospitalization for over 14,000 individuals.
This substance can be released by a variety of items, including cars, stoves, lamps, barbecues, fireplaces, gas stoves, and furnaces.
All individuals are susceptible to poisoning, but older individuals, young children, and those with preexisting health issues such as heart and respiratory problems are particularly vulnerable to experiencing severe illness.
Upon realizing something was amiss, the family contacted emergency services and unlocked all the doors.
Afterwards, they promptly attempted to relocate all 13 children in their familial unit from the cabin.
The Altamont Fire Department responded to a call at approximately 2:30am on Saturday and discovered that the home’s carbon monoxide alarm had batteries, but was not functioning.
Nineteen relatives underwent a blood test and the results showed that their carbon monoxide levels were above 8.5. The niece, who is 12 years old, had a reading of 33.
According to the outlet, the entire family underwent a two and a half hour session in hyperbaric chambers. This allowed them to inhale pure oxygen in a pressurized setting, which helped lower the chance of brain injury or nerve damage.
By the evening of Saturday, every one of the 19 relatives had returned to their residence unharmed. However, the distressing event continued to have a profound effect on the family.
Ms. Smith reminded viewers of KUTV that the situation could have been much more serious and encouraged everyone to make sure their carbon monoxide detectors are functioning properly.
“These are pictures, witnessing their small forms falling; we will carry that memory with us forever.”
According to Dave Nelson, an employee at Six Lakes, they are currently looking into the cause of the incident. He also mentioned that none of the other properties were affected.
The Independent has reached out to Six Lakes for a response.
Source: independent.co.uk
