Ben Hill County, GA – Five people in Ben Hill County were sent to the hospital late Friday night for carbon monoxide exposure, officials confirm.
They said in a statement a family of four used a generator to power a heater in their home Friday night, but it was not well-ventilated. At around 11 p.m. a family member woke up and called 911, and when paramedics arrived, they found the home had a high concentration of carbon monoxide gas from the generator. All four family members were unresponsive, and one of the paramedics was overcome by the fumes as well.
It took EMS crews from Wilcox County and the Fitzgerald Fire Department’s emergency breathing equipment to get the victims out of the house and on their way to the hospital.
The four family members were treated at Tift Regional Medical Center, and were soon in good condition. The EMS worker was treated at Dorminy Medical Center in Fitzgerald and was later released to go home.