Family of 5 suffers CO poisoning at Candle Lake
A Saskatchewan family is recovering from a bout of carbon monoxide poisoning after lighting the furnace in their trailer for the first time this camping season.
Parkland Ambulance was called to the Candle Lake area on Saturday.
A family needed treatment after carbon monoxide poisoning. Paramedics treated a six-month-old baby, a three-year-old, a six-year-old and two adults in their 30s.
They all showed various signs of poisoning, which includes vomiting, headache and lethargy.
Carbon monoxide poisoning can present like the flu, but the tell-tale sign is that people all exhibit the symptoms at once, said the ambulance service.
The family had lit the furnace in the trailer without removing the winter covers off the vents, leading to the problem.
Ambulance service warning people to be safe
Parkland Ambulance advised people that when they opening the cabin or trailer for the first time over the course of the summer, that they should check chimneys and vents before lighting the fireplace or starting the furnace.
For winter, many people will cover the chimney, but small animals or birds may get in. They can build nests blocking vents and allowing carbon monoxide to build up, the ambulance service said.
People are also advised to make sure their homes and trailers have a working smoke and carbon monoxide detector, and to make sure there are fresh batteries are in these detectors.
If these detectors are set off, people should open their windows and doors for fresh air, and promptly get all people and pets outside, said Parkland Ambulance.
