Lyme, NY – Seven people were hospitalized Thanksgiving Day after suffering carbon monoxide poisoning at a residence on Duck Harbor Road in the town of Lyme.
Jefferson County Emergency Services Director Joseph D. Plummer said Friday that there were no fatalities at 10508 Duck Harbor Road, but that one of the individuals was found unconscious when emergency personnel responded at about 10:30 a.m.
It was very close to being a tragedy, Mr. Plummer said.
Mr. Plummer did not have the names of the sickened people, but said they were a set of grandparents, two parents and three children. Mr. Plummer did not know if any of the people remained hospitalized Friday at Samaritan Medical Center, Watertown, but said the illnesses should have no lasting effect on the residents.
The property is owned by Robert M. and Patricia M. Wilder, according to county property records.
Mr. Plummer said the family members experienced flu-like symptoms, prompting a response by fire departments from Chaumont, Three Mile Bay, Brownville, Dexter, Adams and Watertown. It is believed that an exhaust pipe venting a high-efficiency furnace had a half-inch gap in it, allowing the carbon monoxide to seep back into the residence.
Carbon monoxide is odorless and colorless and extremely deadly, ge said.
He said the Duck Harbor Road residence was not equipped with a functioning carbon monoxide detector. Mr. Plummer advises people to make sure their homes have carbon monoxide detectors and that they are operational, as detectors typically have a lifespan of five or six years