A working carbon monoxide detector in one apartment may have saved the life of a woman in another apartment in Prince George's County.
Spokesman Mark Brady said a resident in an apartment in the 6100 block of Beezewood Court in Greenbelt called 911 after she heard her CO detector going off. Maintenance workers arrived prior to the firefighters and began ventilating the building.
After firefighters arrived, they checked on the residents in all apartments, but were not able to get a response from one. They forced their way in and found a woman who was in respiratory arrest.
EMTs and paramedics were able to revive her and soon had her breathing on her own. She was transported to the hospital in critical condition.
Firefighters discovered a dislodged ventilation pipe that was designed to carry CO gas from a basement water heater to the outside. The unconscious woman's apartment was directly above the basement water heater.
The apartment building was ventilated, and residents were allowed to return to their homes. In Prince George's County, it is law that at least one battery-powered CO detector is working on each level of homes and near sleeping areas.
