Housemates lucky to escape from killer carbon monoxide
A WOMAN who was hospitalised along with two friends after carbon monoxide poisoning said they were thankful to be alive.
Jennifer McCormack (24) and her two housemates in Alderwood Park, Tallaght, noticed a strange smell coming from their kitchen late on Tuesday night and contacted their gas company as a precaution, just after 8.30pm.
When a Gas Networks Ireland worker arrived at the home, his sensor detected a high level of carbon monoxide.
Dublin Fire Brigade and gardaí attended the scene and the house was evacuated as heavy snow began to fall.
Speaking to the Irish Independent, Ms McCormack said the gas leak appears to have come from the boiler.
She said when the employee from Gas Networks Ireland arrived, he immediately asked them to air the house.
“Basically, we got a smell of gas yesterday evening in the house and were not really sure what it was,” Ms McCormack said. “I gave Gas Networks a call because we were worried it was something else.
“As soon as he walked in, his machine started beeping and he asked can he open all the windows and doors.
“He then said, ‘you need to get out of the house now, your reading is through the roof’,” she added.
Ms McCormack said that had she and her housemates not been out of the house working during the day, it could have been a lot worse.
“They called the ambulance and we were all brought in for checks and bloods and that,” she said. “Thankfully, we weren’t exposed to it for too long.”
Carbon monoxide is an odourless gas but Ms McCormack said they were “very lucky” to smell something which alerted them to some kind of problem.
“If we had stayed the night, they said there’s a high possibility we would not have woken up. It’s a bit of a shock.”
‘You need to get out now – your reading is through the roof ’
She added that she and another one of the women had some symptoms. “Both of us had headaches. One of the girls had bloodshot eyes and one of us had pains in our legs.”
She added that all three had to find alternative accommodation for the next couple of days.
According to Gas Networks Ireland, carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless poisonous gas and is a common yet preventable cause of death worldwide.