Greenwood, SC – Officials suspect carbon monoxide poisoning was the likely cause of death Wednesday morning for a Greenwood man who brought a generator inside his house.
Brian Bennett Hudgens, 44, of 420 Circle Drive, Greenwood died at about 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, said Greenwood County Coroner Sonny Cox. Though the cause of death is still pending the results of a State Law Enforcement Division toxicology screening, Cox said he suspects carbon monoxide poisoning killed Hudgens.
Cox called the death an unfortunate accident, and Greenwood County Fire Coordinator Steve Holmes said Hudgens had been running a generator inside his house, which likely caused a buildup of carbon monoxide indoors.
Holmes shared a series of tips relating to generators, explaining that using a generator indoors can kill the user in minutes. The exhaust contains carbon monoxide, which is invisible and has no smell but is deadly.
Generators, his tips said, should only be used outdoors and in areas where ventilation is available. Using a fan or opening doors is not good enough to ventilate the deadly gas.
Carbon monoxide detectors can provide an alarm that goes off when it detects a buildup of the gas, alerting users to possible danger.