News

Three narrowly escape poison gas
By Harriet Weixel

This document was published online on Monday, December 22, 2008

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Three South Fork residents narrowly escaped a potentially fatal carbon monoxide poisoning incident Dec. 14.

The victims were living in a guest house owned by Harvey Moore and Nancy Oakes.

As the incident unfolded about 10 miles from Cody, a male resident left the home and went to work. Because he vomited and was dizzy at work, he called Nancy Oakes and asked her to check on the two women in the guest house.

Unable to reach them by phone, Oakes prepared to go to the nearby guest house when one of the ladies, an elderly mother, phoned and in a barely audible voice said her daughter had passed out and couldn’t be awakened.

Rushing to the guest house, Oakes found the mother was sitting in a chair and was barely conscious. The daughter was unconscious and lying on the floor.

“My husband, who’s certified in CPR, came with me, but didn’t need to administer it,” Oakes said.

When the firemen arrived they detected the possibility of carbon monoxide in the house.

“The chief and EMTs were there, but they couldn’t let the EMTs in until someone arrived with a carbon monoxide meter,” she said. “Unfortunately, their meter wasn’t working.”

“The firemen, with breathing apparatus in place, then entered the house and took the two women out,” she added. “They worked to get the women stablized until the ambulance arrived and took them to the hospital.”

“We still had the issue of the house being toxic, so we called around town to get a meter. I finally found one at Blakeman Propane. An employee had one and brought it right out,” she said.

Ten days prior to that Sunday incident, Oakes had employed a company to repair and clean the furnace. After the incident, she was unable to reach that company and called another firm to remove the furnace for inspection and cleaning.

Meanwhile, both women have been released from the hospital.

“Their carbon monoxide blood level when they came to the hospital was 35,” Oakes said. “When it’s 40, the person is comatose.”

Her guest house furnace has been repaired, an additional vent has been put in the wall and more carbon monoxide monitors installed.

Oakes has been advised by her attorney to not release the name of the firm which cleaned the furnace, who repaired it, nor the names of her tenants.

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