Watford City, MO – Watford City resident Shelly Decoteau reported to the Minot Daily News a possible carbon monoxide poisoning at a Watford City hotel pool on Saturday.
Around 10 a.m. at the Little Missouri Inn & Suites, children in the pool area were complaining of trouble breathing, some not being able to breathe at all. The front desk immediately called 9-1-1.
Decoteau was unsure how many people were affected in the pool area, but reported that a few children were being considered to be flown to Minnesota for care, while others were taken to a local hospital for treatment.
One kid was having convulsions and another had to receive CPR, Decoteau told the Minot Daily News. As of 4 p.m. Saturday, three of Decoteau’s grandchildren were still on oxygen at the hospital, Decoteau said, citing the children’s mother.
The Minot Daily reached out to the hotel for comment and the Little Missouri Inn & Suites subsequently released a statement. Firefighters that had responded to the hotel were able to immediately identify the source of the fumes. The carbon monoxide was caused by a malfunction in the pool mechanic room ventilation system.
The hotel has since been inspected twice and has no detectable signs of carbon monoxide fumes. The pool, however, will remain closed until all ventilation issues have been resolved, according to the statement.
As of late Saturday, the Minot Daily News was unable to confirm the number of people affected by the fumes and was unable to reach the Watford City police department for comment.