Woman, 3 kids in San Carlos Park transported due to carbon monoxide

A woman and three children had to be taken to the hospital after being exposed to carbon monoxide inside their home in San Carlos Park.

The San Carlos Fire Department responded to the duplex on Ellie Drive on Monday after someone called 911 and found the children unconscious due to a vehicle being left running in the garage overnight.

Two of the children and the woman, who is in her 20s, had moderate injuries, but one of the children had serious injuries, according to rescuers.

Alexis McLellan with the San Carlos Fire Department stressed the importance of having a carbon monoxide detector.

“If you have something in your home that could cause carbon monoxide, it’s really important to have a carbon monoxide detector because you won’t know that you are being poisoned by carbon monoxide until you start experiencing what are flu-like symptoms,” said Mclellan.

There was no confirmation of a carbon monoxide detector installed in the home.

McLellan mentioned how unsuspecting sources can lead to carbon monoxide leakage in a home.

“Carbon monoxide can spread throughout your home. If you had some type of gas appliance that could cause– it if you left the stove on for a very long time and that pilot light wasn’t lit. That could be something else that could cause carbon monoxide to fill your home,” said McLellan. “Typically, we see those from generators … but it can be caused by anything that has an engine, really.”

She also said that carbon monoxide has no odor, taste, or color, so anyone exposed to it needs to get into fresh air and call 911 right away.