Suspected Carbon Monoxide proved fatal for a Dekalb County man over the weekend.
Sheriff Jimmy Harris states that at around 4am Saturday the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to County Road 1961 in the Rainsville area concerning a 911 call about three men unconscious possibly due to carbon monoxide poisoning. Rainsville Police Department officers also responded along with DeKalb Ambulance Service.
Upon arrival, responders found two unconscious adult males on the front porch of the residence and one adult male inside that was non- responsive. The Dekalb County Sheriff’s Office on call investigator was notified and also responded to the scene.
Pronounced dead at the scene by DeKalb County Coroner Tom Wilson was 51 year old Charles Gerald Downer of Rainsville. Downers body was taken to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for autopsy.
The two unconscious men were air lifted to Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga, TN for treatment.
The men were discovered when a relative of one of the men was unable to contact him by telephone and drove to the residence and found the three inside the home. The relative removed the two unconscious men to the porch and telephoned 911.
With no power connected to the house that was being remodeled, a generator had been placed under the home with a electrical drop cord placed through a window opening and then the window had been closed on the cord.
One of the unconscious men, Thomas Michael Daniel, 24 years of age of a Woodville, AL address was released from Erlanger Hospital on Sunday, April 14, 2013 after being treated for carbon monoxide poisoning and Alfred Arland Crosby, 25 years of age from Rainsville was moved to a room in Erlanger Hospital after treatment for the same and as of Monday morning was listed in satisfactory condition.
Sheriff Harris says “This was an unfortunate incident that happened, but I am glad that these two men are on the road to recovery. I want to caution anyone using a kerosene heater, generator, or any other type of equipment that would emit deadly fumes to read the precautions and operating manual supplied with the equipment and be sure the instructions are followed for the ventilating procedures.”