Posted at: 10/22/2012 7:33 PM
By: Katie Eldred

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Family Says CO Detector Saved Their Lives

(ABC 6 NEWS) -- The Rochester Fire Department was called to a home Friday night with reports of their carbon monoxide alarms going off. When they arrived they found high levels of the poisonous gas.

The sound from a carbon monoxide may have saved Matt Wrought's life.

"It's scary," said Wrought.

The house was a little chilly Friday night so Wrought and his girlfriend decided to turn on the heater. Little did they know the heater was leaking carbon monoxide.

"The alarm just started going off and we were kind of like maybe the batteries are out, and then a 2nd alarm went off and that's when we knew something was wrong," said Wrought.

When the fire department arrived there were high levels of carbon monoxide inside the home.

"At elevated levels if you don't have a detector, you may not wake up," said Captain Ross Baker.

If the detectors had not gone off, there would have been no warning.

"It just proves why it's so important to have carbon monoxide detectors," said Cpt. Baker.

They are in the process of having the heater replaced, but this is also an important reminder to keep up on your heaters maintenance.

"It's present everywhere you go especially this time of year when people are turning on their heaters and they haven't had their furnace inspected," said Cpt. Baker.

The fire department says it's also important to not only have a detector, but make sure it has working, and call 911 when the detector goes off.

"They knew something was going on and they knew it wasn't right, and low and behold it may have saved their lives," said Cpt. Baker.

Wrought says he wasn't even sure they had CO detectors in the house, and now he can't imagine if they didn't.

"We wouldn't be here that's for sure."

On average about 15 Minnesotans are killed by carbon monoxide poisoning each year.
 

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