Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless, and tasteless gas that kills hundreds of people every year. Recently, Wyoming, and Powell in particular, have seen an uptick in carbon monoxide poisoning cases. Students and staff alike have had a nearly fatal encounter with this silent killer.

“I was sitting at my house one night watching TV, as you do, and just slowly started to fall asleep, and I didn’t think anything of it at first, it just seemed like a normal night,” IT Tech Brice Sapp said.  “Right as I was about to fall asleep, I just had this little alarm bell going off in the back of my head that something wasn’t right, and so I had the presence of mind to stand up and go outside.”

Sapp found that after going outside, his ‘brain fog’ cleared and he could determine that something was wrong. Fortunately, he was able to investigate and find the source of the poison. 

One PHS student experienced the same symptoms of disorientation and exhaustion and was absent for a week in January while recovering.

“I [experienced] lightheadedness and struggled to walk,” sophomore Tayson White said. “The [staff at the hospital] treated it with six to seven hours of oxygen.”

Carbon monoxide poisoning causes asphyxiation of the blood and results in these supposedly common symptoms, and most people mistake it for just exhaustion or stress. However, this poison can come from common household facilities, and it can kill extremely quickly. 

Sapp found that the toxic gas was coming from his furnace. A vent had failed to let the gas outside and was pumping it into his house instead. White found out that the gas was coming from a generator. Both were extremely grateful to have found the source, recognized the symptoms, and survived the encounter. Other people have not been so fortunate to take precautions in time. 

On October 29, the Powell Tribune reported that the senior pastor at the Cody Bible Church and his best friend passed away in their camper on a hunting trip. Both people were hardcore hunters and planned on going elk hunting up the North Fork. They were ecstatic that they drew an elk tag for the season. Unfortunately, both were found dead in their camper on Thursday, October 24. Officers determined that the cause of death was accidental carbon monoxide poisoning.  

There are a plethora of ways to keep safe from carbon monoxide poisoning. Often, the school nurse can provide information on how to keep safe. 

One of the most common ways to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning is to install carbon monoxide monitors to detect when carbon monoxide is present.

“I didn’t have a carbon monoxide meter and or a carbon monoxide alarm, and it’s really dumb because they’re not very expensive and they’re life savers,” Sapp said. “Honestly, I would not have known that anything was going wrong, other than just that very small, tiny nagging sense that seemed like something was slightly off about it.”

Another good option is to inspect all fuel-burning devices regularly and ventilate fuel and gas-burning heaters. As mentioned by both White and Sapp, their experience was related to the lack of inspection and proper use of their fuel-burning devices. 

Being aware of the early symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning is vital. As stated by staff and students, some of the early signs are dizziness, exhaustion, and lack of motor muscle function. If you experience any of these symptoms, immediately leave the environment and contact first responders.