Springfield, OR- Hospital officials say an 82-year-old Corvallis, Ore., man is recovering from severe carbon monoxide poisoning after lengthy exposure to a leaky propane heating stove in his enclosed garage.
Officials at Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend in Springfield said Paul Trosper also suffered a heart attack believed linked to the poisoning. He was reported in stable condition Tuesday.
The Register-Guard reports that hospital officials say Trosper had been trying to fix a gas-powered generator in his garage with the heater turned on. He was in that space for about three hours Monday before his wife found him unconscious.
Carbon monoxide is an odorless and tasteless toxic gas caused by fuel combustion. Cars, gas-powered appliances and woodstoves are among the household items that can emit the gas.
Hospital spokeswoman Monique Danziger says the threat of carbon monoxide poisoning is “something that people all know about” and yet often place themselves at risk, especially when they’re trying to keep warm during cold weather.