2 adults, 3 kids rushed to hospital in Brooklyn carbon monoxide incident

Wednesday, October 20, 2021

2 adults, 3 kids rushed to hospital in NYC carbon monoxide incident

Two adults and three children were rushed to the hospital in an apparent carbon monoxide incident in Brooklyn Tuesday.

CYPRESS HILLS, Brooklyn (WABC) -- Two adults and three children were rushed to the hospital in an apparent carbon monoxide incident in Brooklyn Tuesday.

Authorities say several of them were unconscious when first responders arrived at the home on Nichols Avenue in Cypress Hills just before 2 p.m.

They appeared to have been overcome by the fumes and were taken to Jamaica Hospital.

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"My wife called me and said that something happened to my kids," the children's father said Spanish. "I came, they were in serious condition. I called an ambulance to take the kids to the hospital. A man inside of the home also wasn't doing well. Thankfully, he (inaudible) and that's why he was saved. He was cleaning the (inaudible), which was there, taking water out and dumping it. That's where my children were injured, including the man, but everyone is stable at the hospital. They're better, thank God."

Police said the two girls, ages 3 and 1, and a baby boy suffered serious but non life threatening injuries.

The 28-year-old mother and a 59-year-old man who appeared to be the landlord suffered minor injuries.

The two adults suffered only minor injuries.

A neighbor witnessed one of the children being given an oxygen mask.

"They got the paramedics and the fire department as well to put a mask on her, just to see if she's alright," the neighbor said. "I saw the mom and the daughter, and the (older man) was sitting down on the stairs. They gave him a mask too to see if he was having trouble breathing. He's OK."

Firefighters detected readings of 300 parts per million on the top floors and 200 parts per million in the basement.

A normal level should be 5 to 15 parts per million. Symptoms become noticeable when carbon monoxide levels remain above 70 parts per million, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

At sustained concentrations above 150 to 200 parts per million, disorientation, unconsciousness, and death are possible.

The carbon monoxide appeared to come from an inoperative water heater in the basement. One neighbor believes a relative was working on a boiler at the time of the incident.

It was not yet clear if there were any working carbon monoxide detectors in the home.

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