Today, Boston grieves over its first victim of this weekend's blizzard. While trying to clear the feet of snow surrounding the family car on Nazing Street off Blue Hill Avenue around 11:30 a.m., an 11-year-old boy became cold as he was shoveling snow with his dad and got into the car to start it for warmth.
It only took minutes for the boy to be overcome with carbon monoxide which poured into the cab of the car instead of venting out. This all happened because the tail pipe was not cleared of the snow.
“The boy was getting cold so they cleared out the passenger side and the boy got inside to stay warm,” Boston fire spokesman Stephen MacDonald said. (Boston Herald)
Two neighbors tried to revive the boy at the scene and got him to breath but he was later pronounced dead at Boston Medical Center. To compound matters, the father suffered a heart attack and also received treatment at Boston Medical Center.
State Fire Marshal Stephen Coan sent out desperate pleas for people to be mindful of carbon monoxide poisoning. He told the Boston Herold,
"You've got to have ventilation (for exhaust) if you're going to dig your car out. Clear out the exhaust vent first."
This principle also applies to homes. You must clear off the snow from heater vents, whether on the roof or on the side of your home. If the fumes cannot escape outside they will pour inside, and this barely noticeable gas can be missed and kill an entire family within minutes.
Our hearts mourn with this family and our prayers go out to them and Boston as they grieve this terrible loss.
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