Brecknock, Township, PA – A man is dead after being overcome by carbon monoxide poisoning in Brecknock Township Wednesday morning.
Police and firefighters in Brecknock Township responded to a home on Gill Road after a woman called 911 saying she felt lightheaded.
The Berks County Coroner pronounced Jay English, 59, dead at the scene on the first floor of the home. The cause of death was asphyxiation due to carbon monoxide from a coal heater.
“The typical early onset of symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, basically flu-like symptoms early on. As it progresses, you can lose consciousness and at that point then pass away,” said Brecknock Township Fire Company Chief Jason Lutz.
He said crews arrived to find a semi-conscious woman on the second floor, a man dead on the first floor and high levels of carbon monoxide.
“The crews initially found levels on the first floor at 250 parts per million (ppm) which can be deadly over an hour or so. Peak readings on the second floor were 325 ppm which is very deadly at that point,” he said.
Crews were able to get the readings by entering the home with specialized equipment. They searched for the source of the carbon monoxide and discovered something else.
“There were no carbon monoxide detectors found within the residence,” Lutz said.
Officials said people need to be extremely diligent about preventing carbon monoxide leaks when the weather gets cold.
“Technically anything that produces an open flame, gas stoves, oil burners, heaters, water heaters, anything that produces an open flame like that can produce carbon monoxide,” said Lutz.