Yonkers, NY – YONKERS – Three people are recovering after a carbon monoxide scare in their Yonkers apartment building.
Yonkers firefighters say they were called to the building at 95 Walsh Road around midnight because carbon monoxide detectors were going off. A test in the lobby found elevated levels of the poisonous gas, and crews began knocking on doors to check on people.
Resident Matthew Petticlair says the beeping sounds in his eighth-floor apartment alerted him to a problem. “I get in the apartment, and the smell just hit me and I started getting dizzy. I realized right away it was the carbon monoxide detector saying ‘go to fresh air, go to fresh air’.” Petticlair says paramedics took him by ambulance to a hospital for treatment. “They had to give me 100 percent oxygen for four hours to clear the carbon monoxide.” He was released a few hours later.
Two other people were also taken to the hospital and are expected to be OK.
Fire officials say a hot water heater was malfunctioning and sending the carbon monoxide into the building. They did not have to evacuate the entire building, but report that hot water for the building will be shut down until repairs can be made.
Officials stress that this situation could have been much worse and is perfect example as to why it’s so important to have working carbon monoxide detectors.