ALERT: Michigan- Carbon Monoxide Kills One, Hospitalizes Others at Quality Inn in Niles (April 2, 2017)
April 2, 2017
Alert – Michigan: Carbon Monoxide Kills One, Hospitalizes Others at Quality Inn in Niles
On Saturday, a carbon monoxide leak at the Quality Inn in Niles, Michigan, left one dead and another 11 poisoned.
According to NBC News:
A carbon monoxide leak at a Michigan hotel Saturday morning led to one child’s death and caused 11 people, including six other children, to be rushed to the hospital, police said. The child — later identified by police as Bryan Douglas Watts, 13, of Niles — died en route to a local hospital, while the other children were transported to Memorial Hospital of South Bend, Indiana. They are all expected to make a full recovery, a spokesperson for the Lakeland Health Hospital in Niles told NBC News. They range from ages 12 to 14.
One hotel worker at the Quality Inn and Suites in Niles, along with two Berrien County officers and two Niles city police officers were also treated for exposure to the poisonous gas. The officers have all been released, but the employee is still being treated.
Hotel staff found the children lying unresponsive at an indoor pool deck and the breakfast area adjacent to the pool at 10 a.m. ET after noticing their figures through a window, Niles Fire Capt. Don Wise told NBC affiliate WNDU.
The Fire Department also said it found one of the children in a first-floor room unconscious and not breathing after family members alerted authorities. The child said she had just come from the pool.
The carbon monoxide monitor used upon entering the hotel revealed that the levels were 16 times the safety limit at 800 parts per million in the pool area and maintenance room, Niles Police Chief Jim Millin said. Normally, the safety code permits 50 parts per million.
“Officers quickly checked the airway of all involved to ensure they could breath, administered chest compressions to those in need and were able to get all the kids involved out of the building,” Millin said.
The hotel’s spokesman said the incident was “isolated” and is currently working closely with local authorities to handle the situation. “Our highest priority is always the safety and well-being of our guests,” the spokesman said.
The hotel was evacuated and remained shut down after the incident. The local health department planned to inspect the facility Saturday afternoon to determine if the pool should remain closed and the rest of the hotel could be reopened.
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