A serious carbon monoxide incident occurred this morning in the 3200 block of Belle Street in Alton.
The Alton Fire Department was called to the scene at 11 a.m. when two individuals at the resident were found unresponsive.
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“Upon arrival, we suspected carbon monoxide problems and one firefighter went in with a breathing apparatus and a carbon monoxide detector,” Alton Fire Department Chief Bernie Sebold said. “The carbon monoxide detector did an alarm on the first levels. When we went inside, we found a male and female unresponsive in the bedroom.
“We treated both of them and brought them outside. One was transported by Lifestar and the other by Alton Memorial for treatment at a local hospital. Once we were done with our medical treatment, we went through the house and found a gasoline generator in the basement that was not running but had been running and carbon monoxide levels were significantly high in the basement. Both individuals were alive when they were transported.”
The quick response and treatment by the members of the Alton Fire Department helped keep the two individuals alive to be transported to a local hospital, Sebold said. He also praised their work and singled out the person who realized the two were in trouble and needed help.
“It was definitely a grave situation,” Sebold said. “You can’t smell carbon monoxide or taste it and it will displace oxygen and bonds more readily to blood cells than oxygen. When people aren’t getting enough good oxygen from the blood vital to organs, they will suffocate.
“When you have very high concentrations of carbon monoxide it will make you continue to go into a deeper sleep until there is respiratory arrest and then cardiac arrest,” Sebold said. “We are fortunate they made it to the hospital.”
