Family in carbon monoxide horror
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| GAS DANGER: This little device saved Samuel's life, says mum Jemma Traves |
A SHOCKED family and their 15-month-old baby narrowly escaped death when they were poisoned with a killer gas while on holiday.
Mother-of-two Jemma Traves, 33, says her family decided to go for a week-long vacation for the first time in years at Waterside Holiday Park, Weymouth.
But the family's holiday turned into a nightmare when they woke up after their first night in the park's static caravan suffering from mysterious headaches.
Mrs Traves then struggled to rouse her normally lively baby Samuel, who she discovered with a bluish tinge to his lips.
The careful mum had seen a TV programme about the deaths of siblings Christi Shepherd, seven, and her six-year-old brother Bobby, who died from carbon monoxide poisoning in a bungalow in Corfu after fumes from a gas boiler seeped into their rooms.
As a result she had taken a carbon monoxide tester with her and to her horror she discovered the orange dot on the credit card-sized device had turned black, indicating that the deadly gas was present.
The family packed up and went straight to Poole Hospital for tests where, after five hours, doctors confirmed there were traces of carbon monoxide in their blood.
"I'm quite a worrier anyway," said Mrs Traves, from Aspen Gardens, in Poole.
"Most people probably wouldn't have bothered taking one with them.
"It cost just under £5, but it may well have helped save our lives. As the hospital staff said, if we had stayed there any longer it could have been a lot worse."
Mrs Traves said when the family first arrived at the site there was no hot water in the caravan where they were staying, so reception sent a workman to mend the boiler.
Water Holiday Group Ltd said in a statement: subject to a full investigation we appear to have had an incident involving carbon monoxide.'
Company director Philip Jacobs said: "When sited here the gas boiler and system were checked by a Corgi- registered fitter and a written certificate given.
"We have now run the gas boiler system for 30 minutes without carbon monoxide registering on a detector. We have been operating this well-known, five-star holiday park for 43 years without any such incident. We operate a health and safety system using fully qualified staff.
"We will speedily complete our investigation and ensure that anything that proves necessary is done."
The family has lodged a complaint with Borough of Poole's environmental health team, which has passed it on to Weymouth and Portland Borough Council.
An officer from the borough council visited the park yesterday as part of its investigation into the complaint.
8:37am Tuesday 3rd April 2007
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CommentPosted by: ben12, weymouth on 3:59pm Tue 3 Apr 07
If i'm being brutally honest I don't see the attraction of Weymouth being a nice place to go on holiday.
Just go to Cornwall.
If i'm being brutally honest I don't see the attraction of Weymouth being a nice place to go on holiday.
Just go to Cornwall.
Posted by: Albo, Wyke Regis on 4:03pm Tue 3 Apr 07
Yes, thank you Ben, but I think you'll find that Cornwall is full of Cornish people, hence the attraction of Weymouth as a holiday destination.
(And "Well done" to the family involved for showing a bit of life-saving common sense)
Yes, thank you Ben, but I think you'll find that Cornwall is full of Cornish people, hence the attraction of Weymouth as a holiday destination.
(And "Well done" to the family involved for showing a bit of life-saving common sense)
Posted by: AL44, Weymouth on 5:47pm Tue 3 Apr 07
Shouldn't all holiday accommodation be fitted with CO2 alarms (like smoke detectors?) You shouldn't have to take your own!
..Cornwall? Adore the place!
Shouldn't all holiday accommodation be fitted with CO2 alarms (like smoke detectors?) You shouldn't have to take your own!
..Cornwall? Adore the place!
Posted by: val, bushbury on 9:29am Wed 4 Apr 07
use waterside alot over last 30 years and never had any problems ill still go there
use waterside alot over last 30 years and never had any problems ill still go there
Posted by: expat, inthecountry on 9:33am Wed 4 Apr 07
Dear Albo
I think you'll find that in Cornwall the Corns are now in a minority and live on the council estates. Most of the other people are from places like Highgate and Putney. Apart from one or two places like Newquay, where they're from Birmingham.
Dear Albo
I think you'll find that in Cornwall the Corns are now in a minority and live on the council estates. Most of the other people are from places like Highgate and Putney. Apart from one or two places like Newquay, where they're from Birmingham.
Posted by: kel, Weymouth on 7:32pm Wed 4 Apr 07
If I couldn't wake my son and suspected carbon monoxide poisoning I would of phoned an ambulance straight away, not packed up and drove 30 miles to Poole hospital!
If I couldn't wake my son and suspected carbon monoxide poisoning I would of phoned an ambulance straight away, not packed up and drove 30 miles to Poole hospital!
Posted by: sandra cobb, essex on 8:32pm Wed 4 Apr 07
my family use waterside many times and will not be put off. we holidayed in cornwall twice both times it rained all week we are just thankfull for suuny weymouth
my family use waterside many times and will not be put off. we holidayed in cornwall twice both times it rained all week we are just thankfull for suuny weymouth
Posted by: J.TRAVES, poole on 8:32pm Thu 5 Apr 07
kel from weymouth should get their facts straight first before making such comments!if our son was that ill we would of course phoned for an ambulance!silly comment![bold]bold[/bold]
kel from weymouth should get their facts straight first before making such comments!if our son was that ill we would of course phoned for an ambulance!silly comment!
Posted by: chloe, Bristol on 7:47pm Fri 6 Apr 07
[quote][bold]J.TRAVES[/bold] wrote:
kel from weymouth should get their facts straight first before making such comments!if our son was that ill we would of course phoned for an ambulance!silly comment![bold]bold[/bold] [/quote] well you drove 30miles to poole hospital when the weymouth one was just done the road
J.TRAVES wrote:
kel from weymouth should get their facts straight first before making such comments!if our son was that ill we would of course phoned for an ambulance!silly comment!
well you drove 30miles to poole hospital when the weymouth one was just done the road
Posted by: wendy, london on 10:07pm Fri 6 Apr 07
we have been waterside many times and have not had any problems but in saying that i am myself now going to take a co2 detector for holidays.the west country has beautiful areas and we have been there for the past 12 years.We wish the traves family best wishes and recovery
we have been waterside many times and have not had any problems but in saying that i am myself now going to take a co2 detector for holidays.the west country has beautiful areas and we have been there for the past 12 years.We wish the traves family best wishes and recovery
Posted by: J.TRAVES, poole on 7:37am Sat 7 Apr 07
[quote][bold]chloe[/bold] wrote:
[quote][bold]J.TRAVES[/bold] wrote: kel from weymouth should get their facts straight first before making such comments!if our son was that ill we would of course phoned for an ambulance!silly comment![bold]bold[/bold] [/quote] well you drove 30miles to poole hospital when the weymouth one was just done the road [/quote] as i said if you got your facts right we spoke to weymouth hospital and they told us that they couldn't deal with the situation,so please stop making such bold statements without knowing the full facts,and an ambulance wasn't necessary![bold]bold[/bold]
chloe wrote:
J.TRAVES wrote: kel from weymouth should get their facts straight first before making such comments!if our son was that ill we would of course phoned for an ambulance!silly comment!
well you drove 30miles to poole hospital when the weymouth one was just done the road
as i said if you got your facts right we spoke to weymouth hospital and they told us that they couldn't deal with the situation,so please stop making such bold statements without knowing the full facts,and an ambulance wasn't necessary!
Posted by: Anthony Dacko, Northumberland on 12:20pm Sun 6 May 07
Hi
Following on from the posts it is better to get a CO2 Alarm with a inbuilt alarm that sounds when C02 Is detected as soon as possible if the Co2 Had been at a much bigger level you may have not been able to detect the higher level and this would have killed you. You can not hear a card if you are asleep but you can hear a co2 alarm going off this would have detected the co2 long before you had pains from the CO2 gas..
You will all so have to take in to account even if the heating system was checked or fixed some times the workmen may not have done the job right this is what happened to a family friend they worked in a residential home for old people and the work men fitted a new boiler but they did not do the job right and passed it as safe even so they are corbie registered.
The problem came to light after staff started feeling ill and the problem was tracked down to CO2 gas from the faulty fixed boiler no co2 alarms was fitted in the building so they could not detect the problem was co2 at the time.
All so take in to account if you go on holiday any where in the world take a CO2 electronic alarm with you they don't cost that much and can save your life or your kids life don't take a registered gas fitters certificate as proof of good workmen ship most are but some do not do a good job.
I hope this makes you thing again about the dangers of Co2 gas.
Regards Anthony Dacko.
Hi
Following on from the posts it is better to get a CO2 Alarm with a inbuilt alarm that sounds when C02 Is detected as soon as possible if the Co2 Had been at a much bigger level you may have not been able to detect the higher level and this would have killed you. You can not hear a card if you are asleep but you can hear a co2 alarm going off this would have detected the co2 long before you had pains from the CO2 gas..
You will all so have to take in to account even if the heating system was checked or fixed some times the workmen may not have done the job right this is what happened to a family friend they worked in a residential home for old people and the work men fitted a new boiler but they did not do the job right and passed it as safe even so they are corbie registered.
The problem came to light after staff started feeling ill and the problem was tracked down to CO2 gas from the faulty fixed boiler no co2 alarms was fitted in the building so they could not detect the problem was co2 at the time.
All so take in to account if you go on holiday any where in the world take a CO2 electronic alarm with you they don't cost that much and can save your life or your kids life don't take a registered gas fitters certificate as proof of good workmen ship most are but some do not do a good job.
I hope this makes you thing again about the dangers of Co2 gas.
Regards Anthony Dacko.
Posted by: Brian, Waterloo on 8:06pm Fri 18 May 07
Dear God, will you people PLEASE get the information correct? CO2 is carbon dioxide, not carbon monoxide! CO is the deadly gas...
Dear God, will you people PLEASE get the information correct? CO2 is carbon dioxide, not carbon monoxide! CO is the deadly gas...
Posted by: Don Craig, Texas on 11:34pm Fri 18 May 07
[quote][bold]Brian[/bold] wrote:
Dear God, will you people PLEASE get the information correct? CO2 is carbon dioxide, not carbon monoxide! CO is the deadly gas...[/quote] Don't hold your breath ... PMSnbc can't get it right either ...
http://www.msnbc.msn
.com/id/3036677/:
Brian wrote:
Dear God, will you people PLEASE get the information correct? CO2 is carbon dioxide, not carbon monoxide! CO is the deadly gas...
Don't hold your breath ... PMSnbc can't get it right either ...
http://www.msnbc.msn
.com/id/3036677/:
Posted by: Celia Cummings, Chester on 11:38am Fri 17 Aug 07
I'd be interested to know the outcome of the family's complaint. I've just complained to another park in Devon about a leak. They only installed a carbon monoxide detector once the leak was fixed!
I'd be interested to know the outcome of the family's complaint. I've just complained to another park in Devon about a leak. They only installed a carbon monoxide detector once the leak was fixed!
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