APOPKA, Fla. – A family of five was taken to a hospital Tuesday morning to be treated for carbon monoxide poisoning that occurred in a home in Orange County, officials said.
Orange County Fire Rescue said the incident happened at a home on Timberwolf Trail near Apopka.
A relative identified the victims as his sister, her husband and their three children, ages 12, 6 and 3. Their conditions have not been released, but they were expected to survive, according to the woman’s brother.
[TRENDING: Become a News 6 Insider]
“(Crews) were quickly alerted by our CO monitors that are attached to all of our life pack units that there was carbon monoxide in the house,” Orange County Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Rick Broccolo said. “As other family members began to awake, they started feeling signs and symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning.”
Cristian Fuentes said his sister was making breakfast for her husband when she heard her 6-year-old son screaming about how his chest hurt.
“My sister went to check on him and gave him Tylenol, but then she started to feel sick and passed out. My brother-in-law also went to check, but he passed out, too,” Fuentes said.
Broccolo added the situation could’ve been “very detrimental” for the family if their 12-year-old daughter didn’t wake up to the sound of her brother screaming and call 911 when she did.
“My brother started screaming,” the girl said on the 911 call. “I just woke up... I think he’s passed out, he’s still breathing.”
The 911 operator then talked the girl through how to check her brother’s breathing as someone else in the house can be heard sobbing and screaming in the background.
The girl also told the operator her mother was having trouble breathing and her heart started hurting. Crews arrived on scene shortly after.
According to a relative, the family was operating a new compressor in the garage and didn’t think it would affect them inside the house.
“As we’re leading into hurricane season, we’re starting to prep for that,” Broccolo said. “It’s important to remember to change the batteries in your CO detector, to buy CO detectors if you don’t have ‘em in your house, to remember generator safety.”
He said that includes not running a generator in your garage or house and having it a minimum 20 feet away from the structure.
Orlando offers free carbon monoxide detectors, which you can request here. For tips on preventing carbon monoxide poisoning, click here.
No other details have been released.
Check back for updates.