Clinical confusion seems to have played a part in the Sandals case as well. On the night they were about to investigate, two of the people who died, Robbie Phillips, 65, a travel consultant who was actually one of the top sellers of sandals, and her husband, Michael, 68, complained to a medical facility. Nausea and vomiting, according to local authorities. Donis Chiarella, 65, who was living on the other side of the wall, also visited a clinic, his son told ABC News. All returned to their nearby beach villa, where Phillips and Ms Chiarella’s husband, Vincent, 64, were found unresponsive the next morning, according to local officials. Later that day, all three were pronounced dead. Ms Chiarella, who had to be hospitalised, was the only survivor.
Further complicating diagnosis is the fact that the invisible, odorless gas is preceded by no major signal, which makes one too distracted to take action, said Patrick Morrison, chief of field services for the International Association of Fire Fighters, Largest association of firefighters and paramedics in the United States. He said his association supports the need for detectors in all hotel sleeping quarters for this reason.
“If you can’t get out into the fresh air, you’ll get over it,” Morrison said. “That’s why people die in their sleep.”
Mr. Markovsky returned to his room, where at some point he remembered that he was lying on the floor, screaming.
fuel and a bird’s nest
Carbon monoxide is released when an appliance burns a fuel such as gas, oil, propane, kerosene, wood or charcoal. Dr. Lindell Kay Weaver, who specializes in carbon monoxide poisoning at Intermountain Healthcare in Salt Lake City, said the most common causes of carbon monoxide poisoning in hotels are the boilers and heaters used to heat swimming pools and water for the entire fin . Gas dryers, fire places, portable gas-powered pool cleaning equipment and portable generators are other sources of carbon monoxide leaks.
If these devices are working properly – or, in the case of generators, if they are used in a safe location outside – they should pose no danger. Carbon monoxide, in small amounts, will exit through the exhaust vent. The problem usually occurs when the device malfunctions or the vent is blocked or broken. In Mr. Markowski’s case, the fire report identified a bird’s nest that clogged the vents in the room with hot water tanks.
Gas can follow air currents through vents, small holes and even drywall, sometimes ending up far from the original source of the leak. In this case, according to fire officials, the gas probably entered Room 205 through holes and cracks in the floor.
(This story has not been edited by seemayo staff and is published from a rss feed)