Report: Disconnected pool pump exhaust led to 2 deaths at Fort Myers Beach home

A newly released report from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office has revealed that a deadly gas leak that took two lives in a Fort Myers Beach home was due to exhaust.

The report states that two men died inside the home because of it.

“TECO Gas utility.. responded and determined a disconnected pool pump exhaust,
which led to the second story, outdoor pool, was the gas leak source,” according to the report.

On Saturday, the next-door neighbor called 911 and said he had not seen his neighbors since Friday and had noted that there was a strong odor of natural gas emitting from the house.

Before calling 911, Stephen Sexton, grabbed the front door handle and noticed it was unlocked. He opened the door and began calling out to his neighbors.

He told deputies he knew the building layout and entered the home and walked to the first-floor back bedroom.

When he entered the bedroom, he found a young man unconscious, without a pulse, lying on the bed. Sexton stated he knew immediately that the man was dead.

He then left the house and called 911.

Sexton told the 911 operator, “he’s not breathing at all. I’m screaming at him, and he’s not moving. I ran out of the house because I don’t know if the house smells so bad, I don’t think I could be in there.”

When deputies arrived on the scene and noticed the odor, they called the fire department.

Lee County Fire and Rescue, Lee County EMS and Fort Myers Beach Fire and Rescue all responded.

When they entered the house, they found two men inside. The first, Jack Elliott Faler, was lying in bed in the first-floor bedroom. The second, Michael John Dewitt, the owner of the home, was found on the third floor, in the shower.

The two men’s primary residences are in Indiana and their family has been informed.

Maria Proulx lives directly across the canal and saw everything unfold, calling the situation devastating.

“My living room was completely lit up, like all the lights were in my house. I knew it was probably a death of some sort. Obviously, I never thought it would be a gas death. They were there for hours. I finally went to bed at midnight, but nobody had left,” Proulx said.

Fort Myers Beach Fire and Rescue requested TECO Gas to respond to the scene and locate the gas leak source.