Married couple have lucky escape after ignoring CO warnings
A couple sleeping in their caravan have narrowly escaped death following ignoring a carbon monoxide alarm warning, alerting them to CO poisoning – and going back to bed.
Somerset couple, Rick and Jeanette Wills, were fast asleep when the detector sounded due to a faulty gas fridge, but, instead of leaving their caravan, decided to open their windows and go back to sleep.
Mr Wills explained their potentially hazardous reaction saying: “I couldn’t smell anything, so I took the alarm off the wall and put it under a pillow to stop the noise.
“As an afterthought I opened all the windows, including the skylight. When we woke in the morning we both felt awful.” he continued.
The incident comes shortly after the launch of the CO – Be Alarmed Campaign, warning caravanners of the dangers of CO poisoning and how to recognise the symptoms associated with it, including headaches, dizziness, nausea, breathlessness, collapse and loss of consciousness.
The silent killer that is carbon monoxide is especially dangerous as it has no colour, taste or smell and is produced by appliances that use gas, oil and wood.
Marc House, community safety prevention manager, explained: “Carbon monoxide is potentially fatal and even low-levels of the poison can cause lasting damage to your health.
“It’s as vital to have a working carbon monoxide detector in your caravan or campervan as having a working smoke alarm.”
Mr Wills commented on the incident, realising he and his wife are lucky to be alive, Saying: “I looked at the gas fridge and the flame was white. If the CO detector had not gone off we would almost certainly have died.
“I would advise everyone to get a detector. We should never have stayed in the caravan – we were only saved because the alarm went off and I opened the windows.”
It is great to hear that CO poisoning failed to claim two more victims’ lives, however we here at CaravanTimes fail to condone Mr Willis’ action of simply opening the windows and going back to sleep. If your CO alarm sounds, leave your caravan immediately. And if you don’t have one, get one now. It could save your life.
