Jan 13, 2009 4:36 pm US/Pacific
Carbon Monoxide Leak Kills Man In SF Apartment
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5 / AP / BCN) ―
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Firefighters found one person dead inside an apartment unit at 816 Geary Street in San Francisco Monday night.
CBS
A man found dead at a San Francisco apartment building that was evacuated Monday night due to a carbon monoxide leak has been identified as city resident Eddy Choy-Santos, according to the San Francisco medical examiner's office.
The incident was reported at about 7:45 p.m. at a five-story apartment building at 816 Geary St., fire Lt. Ken Smith said.
Choy-Santos, 78, died at the scene, and eight others sustained injuries.
About 50 residents were temporarily evacuated from the building but were allowed to return to the building overnight.
A hazardous materials team responded to the leak and crews worked to exhaust the fumes out of the building before letting residents back in, Smith said.
The source of the leak was determined to be a water heater or boiler, which was subsequently shut off, in the basement of the building, according to Smith.
The incident followed another carbon monoxide poisoning in Cupertino Monday afternoon, Santa Clara County fire officials said.
The fire department received a medical call at about 3:15 p.m. at the Cupertino City Center Apartments at 20380 Stevens Creek Blvd., according to Battalion Chief Kendall Pearson.
Arriving firefighters and emergency crews found a man in the bathroom of the poolside building, Pearson said.
Crews began to feel sick while tending to the victim.
After taking the patient outside, the crews called in more resources, including a hazardous materials team from the San Jose Fire Department, according to Pearson.
Eight people, including three firefighters and three paramedics, were taken to three different hospitals to be treated for carbon monoxide poisoning, Pearson said.
The three firefighters were treated and released, according to Pearson, who was not sure about the condition of the other victims, including the original patient and the man who called in the incident.
A preliminary investigation into the cause of the carbon monoxide leak pointed to possibly faulty equipment, including a furnace and water heater, in the mechanical room of the poolside building, Pearson said.
Carbon monoxide is odorless and colorless and causes an estimated 500 deaths and 15,000 trips to the emergency room in the U.S. each year, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The gas causes the most poisoning deaths in the country and symptoms can appear similar to the flu, the EPA reported.
The agency recommends people place carbon monoxide alarms near sleeping areas, check heating and fuel-burning appliances, avoid non-vented combustion appliances and burning fuels indoors except with stoves or furnaces that are safe.
Information about carbon monoxide safety can be found online at
www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/coftsht.html.
(© CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press and Bay City News contributed to this report.)
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