Nation & World News
EMTs on meal break alert restaurant goers of dangerous CO levels
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Talk about being in the right place at the right time.
Two New York emergency medical technicians prevented a potentially deadly situation while on their meal break.
According to ABC 7, Justin Gau and Kyle Page, two volunteer EMTs, went to their Long Island Applebee's for dinner. When they walked in, their carbon monoxide alarm went off.
They went outside to reset the device, and to make sure it wasn't giving false readings. It wasn't, showing levels two times over the safe limit.
After investigating, it was found that the restaurant's hot water heater malfunctioned, sending the odorless, colorless, deadly gas into the restaurant, ABC 7 reported.
The station said the restaurant did not have a CO detector of its own, despite a similar deadly event at another Long Island restaurant in February.
According to WCVB, a Legal Seafood manager died when a hot water heater's flue pipe malfunctioned. Twenty-seven other people, including three responding police officers, were sent to the hospital with carbon monoxide poisoning symptoms.
The restaurant did not have a carbon monoxide detector. New York law, according to WCVB, only requires them where people sleep.
ABC 7 reported that some employees had been feeling sick. Several people refused medical attention.
More than 100 people were evacuated from the restaurant.
