Investigation report on the student death in December at Evergreen State College found that:
“Alarms on the CO detectors went off during the early-morning hours of Dec. 11, but instead of being treated as a real CO event, investigators said those alarms were treated as a faulty detector and/or a fault of the fire alarm system.”
“…the CO came from a significant leak from a newly installed tankless water heater in the inside the utility room of that unit.”
“…a lack of training and/or understanding of the functions of the fire alarm/CO systems by Evergreen employees and residence maintenance personnel.”
by David Roesel, M.D.
“I was working at the Harborview Emergency Room that evening, and in addition to caring for the usual mix of patients as well as some injured from the storm, medic units began bringing in entire families who were suffering from the same symptoms…”
Winter Watch: Deadly Dangers of Carbon Monoxide | South Seattle Emerald
Olympia, WA –
“Campus officials said a contractor working in the Modular Apartments housing area of campus responded to carbon monoxide alarms earlier Monday, the college said in its statement. It wasn’t clear if this was the area where the affected students lived.
The McLane Black Lake Fire Department responded to the scene and conducted carbon monoxide testing in the impacted area on Monday evening, the school said.”
1 college student dead in Washington, 2 injured in suspected carbon monoxide poisoning – ABC News (go.com)
OLYMPIA, Wash. — One student is dead, and two others are injured after suspected carbon monoxide poisoning at Evergreen State College Monday evening.
“This is a tragedy, and we grieve for our students and families,” said Evergreen President John Carmichael.
A contractor working in the Modular Apartments housing area of the campus responded to carbon monoxide alarms earlier in the day on Monday, according to campus officials.
Campus police were called after a student residence manager was not able to contact a few students. An Evergreen police officer broke down their door around 8:30 p.m. and performed emergency CPR on the students.
“The alarms were going off for a couple of minutes. The police showed up, then the fire department showed up,” said Kris Pennington, a college senior who lives next door. “Then they pulled someone out on a stretcher and it looked like they were trying to do CPR on them for a while.”
Two students and the responding officer were taken to local hospitals. Campus officials said their symptoms were “consistent with carbon monoxide poisoning.”
The officer was hospitalized, but released Tuesday morning, according to Evergreen Police Chief David Brunckhurst.
The Thurston County Coroner’s Office (TCCO) responded to reports of a death at the college at 9:45 p.m. Jonathan Rodriguez, 21, from Dupont was found dead when they arrived, according to TCCO. The suspected cause of death is carbon monoxide poisoning, but TCCO will release an official cause after their investigation.
Washington State Patrol (WSP) is now trying to pinpoint the source of the toxic fumes.
“Washington State Patrol is looking into it. We’re going to find that out. That’s going to be the focus of our investigation,” said WSP spokesperson Chris Loftis.
Pennington said the alarms frequently trigger and speculated on one possible source.
“From what I’m aware of the only source of carbon monoxide would be the water heaters,” Pennington said.
McLane Black Lake Fire Department also responded to the scene and did carbon monoxide testing in the impacted areas. Campus officials contacted all Evergreen students in nearby campus housing to make sure they were safe Monday night.
“We’re all in shock. This is devastating news because the safety and care of our students is our top priority,” said Dexter Gordon, the executive vice president at the college. “We are grieving with our families, especially the bereaved family, and then the families of all of our students affected and then our staff who are our first responders.”
1 dead, 3 injured after suspected carbon monoxide poisoning at Evergreen State College | KOMO (komonews.com)
Point Roberts, WA –
“The children of Gail Amundsen and Murray Church have filed a lawsuit against Whatcom County and several companies alleging negligence resulting in the wrongful deaths of the couple due to carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.”
Family files wrongful death lawsuit for Point Roberts couple who died from CO poisoning | The Northern Light
“Recovering from recent knee replacement surgery and spending much of his time in bed, he began hearing his CO monitor alarm going off. He had purchased it last year the day after he heard the tragic case of Point Roberts (Washington) residents Murray Church and Gail Asmundsen who died from CO poisoning on November 25…”
Close call a reminder to check | All Point Bulletin
Point Roberts, WA
“Gail Amundsen and Murray Church, longtime residents of Point Roberts, were discovered dead in their home on Calder Drive on Thanksgiving Day evening.
Newly constructed, the couple had only moved into the house on August 9. According to the fire chief and WCSO, while the house had fire detectors, no CO monitors or alarms were found. Since 2011, all newly constructed homes in Washington state must have CO alarms installed adjacent to all bedrooms and on all floors.”
Local couple die from carbon monoxide poisoning | All Point Bulletin
Bremerton, WA: “Thirty-three sailors assigned to the USS Michigan submarine were taken to the hospital Monday following potential exposure to exhaust from the boat’s diesel engine during maintenance work at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.”
Sailors taken to hospital for diesel exhaust exposure at shipyard (kitsapsun.com)
Spokane, WA –Â “…residents were using three generators that were on the roof near the unit’s windows to power portable space heaters and other electronic devices…exhaust from the generators vented back into the cracked windows, causing increased levels of dangerous carbon monoxide to accumulate”
https://www.krem.com/article/news/local/spokane-renters-forced-from-apartments-after-carbon-monoxide-exposure/293-b26a04c1-dbed-4406-b5bb-ec2c7345163d?fbclid=IwAR1WMwZGoCGasvA225i5Aeq2BpC1CENEBlWKAhx4Zxu0JsxkVnnt3afoXpY
Spokane, WA –
“Wednesday, Dec. 4 at 6:09 PM, the Spokane Fire Department responded to a local restaurant where a customer was reportedly experiencing a medical emergency. The Fire Communication Specialists were able to identify symptoms that included light headedness, headache and a patient that was in and out of consciousness per the 911 caller’s description. Pre-arrival instructions were given while SFD Paramedics were en-route, and the first company arrived within 4-minutes.
The four-person team entered the restaurant, and per their protocol, they activated their Carbon Monoxide (CO) detector that is attached to their medical gear…Within moments of making contact with the patient inside the restaurant, the CO detector began to alarm. The building was immediately evacuated and the patient moved to a safe location for treatment by Paramedics. The company retrieved a hazardous materials monitor from their apparatus and returned to monitor the conditions inside the restaurant, confirming high levels of CO present throughout the building.
Firefighters were able to locate a faulty furnace unit that was the cause of the CO production.”
https://my.spokanecity.org/fire/news/2019/12/06/carbon-monoxide-incident-prompts-evacuation/
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