A family's weekend at lake turns into carbon monoxide nightmare

CULLMAN, Ala. — A fun family weekend at a Cullman lake suddenly turned into a life-or-death situation after an odorless, colorless gas called carbon monoxide (CO) began affecting the family overnight.

Channing Pettus and her family were staying at a lake house they have been to countless times before.

"We stayed in the water to like 9 p.m. So it was a great day. And then we'd go up and eat some ice cream cake. Just a normal little family fun night. And the storm came out of nowhere, and the wind was all crazy," said Channing. "Around 10, the power went out, but you could hear the generator click on."

Channing says they didn't think too much of it and eventually all went to bed. The generator stayed on for several hours overnight.

Around 7 a.m., her niece, Ava, got up to use the bathroom, which also woke up Channing.

"I could hear noise like somebody kind of, you know, messing around. Then I heard a thump," said Channing.

That thump was Ava experiencing the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning while in the bathroom.

"I basically couldn't get out because my hands were shaking. So, I was basically hitting my head on the door, because I couldn't use my hands," Ava explained.

Channing, unaware of what was happening, went to investigate the noise.

"I was yelling. I'm like, 'Hey, y'all, OK?' Nobody was answering me. So I jump up, run out there, and she's on the ground, which of course freaked me out. So I'm getting her up. She's just limp in my arms, and it's scary," said Channing.

Channing's daughter Millie was woken by all the commotion, and that's when everyone started experiencing different symptoms.

"I woke up, and I heard mama saying, 'Ava, wake up. It's OK.' I got up, and as soon as I got out of the bed, my hands, my body, it just didn't feel right. Then Oren, my brother, started to not feel right. He was saying, my head hurts so bad," said Millie.

Channing soon began feeling sick as well.

"As I'm trying to help the girls, trying to be a brave mom, I ran back to the bedroom because I feel like I'm about to go down. I could just feel it coming on," she said.

She began trying to figure out how everyone was sick all of a sudden.

"My husband's like, 'I think we're fine. Like, let's just sleep it off, just go back to sleep'. I don't know, for some reason, I started googling, and that's when I realized this is more than just food poisoning or heat or anything like dehydration, so I get the kids outside," Channing said.

That quick thinking saved her family's lives. They alerted poison control and the fire department. Channing, her children, niece, and husband were all treated for different levels of exposure to carbon monoxide at the hospital

Channing says they think the generator caused it all, but it is still a mystery being investigated.

She urges everyone to get carbon monoxide detectors, as the lake house did not have one.

"Get the detectors. It is basic precautions, because we were just a normal family having a good time, you know? We had no idea that would be what we woke up to the next morning...we were sick and dropping like flies," said Channing

Carbon monoxide is an odorless and colorless gas, making it especially dangerous because people may not realize they are being exposed.

Channing says she hopes sharing her family's experience will encourage others to install carbon monoxide detectors and recognize the warning signs before it's too late.

Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning can include headache, nausea, vomiting, weakness, dizziness, confusion, sleepiness, shortness of breath, and fainting.

Related topics