Woman, 8 kids released from hospital after carbon monoxide leak in Beaver County

PITTSBURGH — Nine people were taken to an area hospital after a carbon monoxide leak Tuesday morning in Beaver County.

According to 911 dispatchers, the residents of a home on Connecticut Avenue in Rochester reported feeling sick about 8:15 a.m. Tuesday.

The eight kids and one adult were taken for treatment at Allegheny General Hospital, police said.

Bonnie Shepherd said her daughter, Dawn, two grandchildren and six other children in their care were hospitalized following the close call.

“I’m lucky we made it through the night because I know this can kill you,” Shepherd said.

According to Shepherd, they started noticing something was wrong Monday night.

“The kids started getting sick. A couple were sick at a time with headaches real bad. They were sick to their stomach and vomiting,” Shepherd said.

The kids range in age from 18 months to 12 years, Shepherd said.

“I don’t know how (Dawn) came up with the idea of what it could be, but we all got out of the house and called the fire department,” Shepherd said.

Shepherd said her daughter had the highest levels of everyone who went to the hospital, and she underwent treatments Tuesday afternoon.

"We didn’t have a carbon monoxide detector in the house, but we’re going to have one shortly,” Shepherd said.

Channel 11's Vince Sims reported all of the victims were released from the hospital Tuesday night.

Experts said carbon monoxide claims the lives of hundreds of people each year and makes thousands more ill. They urge everyone to get a detector and have furnaces checked annually.

WPXI