Small cause, life-threatening consequences: In Mattighofen in Upper Austria, a couple almost suffocated when a cleaning lid on the gas boiler came loose. It was a last minute rescue.
A 64-year-old was unconscious in Mattighofen in the front room of the apartment when her husband discovered her Saturday afternoon. Not knowing what was going on, he called 911. Upon entering the apartment, the carbon monoxide detectors attached to the paramedics’ equipment went off, after which the two individuals were taken outside. A measure that brought them breath in the true sense of the word, because every minute more in the house polluted with carbon monoxide would have increased the danger to life.
Couple flown to hospital
The Mattighofen fire brigade ventilated the residential building and carried out CO measurements while the couple was flown to the Traunstein clinic with the rescue helicopters “Europa 3” and “Christophorus 14” after the first aid. There, in Bavaria, there is a pressure chamber that allows the inhaled gas to be forced out of the body.
Screwed cleaning lid
The police quickly found out why the deadly stick gas had spread in the house: in the gas boiler in the basement, a screwed cleaning cover on the smoke pipe had come loose. As a result, insufficient oxygen could be sucked in, so that carbon monoxide was formed during combustion and did not escape through the exhaust, but flows into the cellar through the open exhaust.
The carbon monoxide then spread throughout the house. According to the first report, the affected couple is not in danger.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
