Overisel Township, MI – Crews installing carpet at a house in Overisel Township saved a couple inside from fatal carbon monoxide poisoning.
Four people were hospitalized this morning in serious but stable condition after they felt ill because of high levels of the gas in the house on 146th Avenue east of Holland.
It’s the highest levels I’ve ever seen in 20 years in a house, said Mike DeWeerdt, assistant fire chief of Overisel Fire Department.
Besides the couple, two workers were also treated.
The carbon monoxide, an odorless, colorless and tasteless gas, came from the hot water heater in the utility room in the house, he said.
The elderly residents of the house felt ill last night, but didn’t think much about it, DeWeerdt said. They stayed in their bedroom today while carpet installers worked in another part of the house. The workers began to feel ill about 10:45 this morning. Before they evacuated the house, they checked on the couple who were still sick and removed them from house as well.
That action most likely saved he couple’s lives, DeWeerdt said.
The couple did not have a working carbon monoxide detector in the house, he said.