Airdrie mourns young victim of carbon monoxide exposure
soon as they entered the building, “warning that extremely high levels of carbon monoxide were present,” said a release from the city.
First responders found Trai and took him outside to provide medical assistance, activating the complex’s alarm system and leading a full evacuation of the building’s 136 units.
Ultimately only Trai and his parents were taken to hospital, with the youngster going directly into the intensive care unit in lifethreatening condition. He later died in hospital.
Fire crews wearing self-contained breathing gear searched the building, discovering CO readings exceeding 2,100 parts per million. Levels of CO registering above 100 ppm are considered to be potentially hazardous. Made friends easily ,” Sch lichter said.
“He kissed me every night and sometimes just because. Cuddled me, even though he wouldn’t in front of his friends.”
Emergency crews converged on a four-storey apartment complex at 700 Willowbrook Rd. in the city just north of Calgary Sunday just after 9 a.m. for reports of “hazardous levels” of deadly carbon monoxide in the building.
Personal gas monitors worn by Airdrie firefighters went off as The mother of a 12-year-old boy who died from exposure to carbon monoxide in an Airdrie apartment complex is still coming to terms with the tragedy that stole her only child.
Elysha Schlichter said the only blessing about the death of her beloved Trai, who was set to turn 13 in June, was that he died in a peaceful sleep from which he never awoke.
“He was full of life. Very social.
After eight hours of venting the building, air quality testing determined it was safe for residents — who were evacuated to nearby Genesis Place—tore turn. The Airdrie Fire Department’s public education team gave carbon monoxide detectors to all returning residents.
Schlichter, 30, said she had just moved to Airdrie with her wife Jayla and son Trai from Edmonton in December. In that short time, Trai, who loved the outdoors, camping, sports and playing video games, had already managed to make great friends in his neighbourhood and at his new school.
The tragedy came as Schlichter was recovering from giving birth just two weeks ago to her third surrogate child. But she said Trai was the centre of her universe.
“I’m a surrogate and have given birth to three other children only to have my own taken so soon ,” said Sch lichter, who along with her wife spent most of Sunday on oxygen.
In a Facebook post, she also criticized the building’s owners after a similar evacuation in June 2014 was caused by harmful levels of carbon monoxide.
At the time, local media reported some 80 to 100 residents of the same apartment complex were evacuated after CO readings as high as 180 ppm were discovered inside. One maintenance worker was reportedly sent to hospital in stable condition.
Attempts by Postmedia to reach the property management company were unsuccessful Monday.
An investigation is now jointly underway with the Fire Prevention Bureau, RCMP, ATCO and City of Air drie building and gas inspectors.
Airdrie Mayor Peter Brown said Trai’s death is a painful blow to the community. “Right now our thoughts are with the family,” he said Monday. “It’s a terrible tragedy ... Airdrie is a very close-knit community and there definitely is an outpouring of support.”
Brown said he’s not aware of the level of CO monitoring in the building, but noted it was built prior to changes to Alberta’s building code, which require working CO and smoke detectors in all individual dwellings. He added that will be part of the ongoing investigation.
A GOFUNDME page has been launched by family friends to help the family recover, as they no longer have access to their apartment. As of Monday morning it had already raised nearly $9,000.