Carbon monoxide from generator kills 1, hospitalizes 3 in Daytona Beach

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — One person was killed and three others were hospitalized early Wednesday after they were poisoned by carbon monoxide from a generator in a home, the Daytona Beach Fire Department said.

A friend discovered three unconscious adults at about 4:45 a.m. in a home on South Keech Street, agency spokeswoman Sasha Staton said.

A generator was running in the home and a door was slightly open, she said.

"They were very friendly. They helped us move. They were good people," neighbor Jason Boreilli said.

Firefighters said the friend and a Daytona Beach police officer pulled the victims from the home and they were taken to a hospital, where one of them died.

The friend of the victims was taken to the hospital to be treated for moderate exposure and the police officer was assessed for mild exposure, Staton said. He has been released from the hospital.

The two people found in the home were transferred to St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach, where they'll be placed into a hyperbaric chamber to remove the carbon monoxide from their blood.

"The Daytona Beach Fire Department strongly urges everyone that is still without power and using a generator to please keep the generators outside of the house," Staton said. "Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless poisonous gas that can cause sudden illness and death if too much is inhaled."

"If you are running a generator and begin to feel sick, dizzy, light-headed, or experiencing flu-like symptoms, please get fresh air immediately," Staton said.

Officials said homeowners should outfit their home with a carbon monoxide detector, especially if they're using a generator to weather power outages caused by Hurricane Irma.

Cox Media Group