Husband and wife died from carbon monoxide poisoning in campervan after using gas heater: inquest

[Alan de Enfield]

 

 

A warning that could as well be applied to boaters .................

 

A picture of the heater the couple used was shown at the inquest on Wednesday. It was not designed to be used in enclosed spaces and they succumbed to the fumes from it

 

 

A married couple died from carbon monoxide poisoning at a cider festival after they went to sleep in their campervan with a leaky gas heater on that should not have been used indoors, an inquest heard. 

Christopher and Kayleigh Coll, who had four children, were found dead in their campervan having succumbed to fumes released by the gas heater which they switched on before bed in chilly October temperatures.

 

 

Husband and wife died from carbon monoxide poisoning in campervan after using gas heater: inquest

 

[Naughty Cal]

Why would anyone even think that is a suitable means of heating for a van, or boat?

[Cha5]

1 minute ago, Naughty Cal said:

Why would anyone even think that is a suitable means of heating for a van, or boat?

 

Darwinism dictates that they shouldn't have been able to replicate their genes if their genes were faulty, & clearly they were faulty. I'm sadenned by the fact they left children behind. Not just that they died & now those kiddies are orphans, but that they went off on a jolly weekend & didn't include their kids in all of that journalistic nonsense.

 

On the plus side, I have just enjoyed a very pleasant evening creating my very own trees from copper wire. Something I would never have thought of doing if I had not heard of this tragedy.

Sharing an afterthought here . . . You are on a forum where many of its members have a twisted & distorted view on the BSS. They live in this kind of warped & distorted reality that it somehow interferes in their freedom to squat on the canal & defecate anywhere other than a toilet. The BSS exists because some folk think it's OK to create CO & there will be no consequences ro human life.

 

[mrsmelly]

50 minutes ago, Cha5 said:

 

Darwinism dictates that they shouldn't have been able to replicate their genes if their genes were faulty, & clearly they were faulty. I'm sadenned by the fact they left children behind. Not just that they died & now those kiddies are orphans, but that they went off on a jolly weekend & didn't include their kids in all of that journalistic nonsense.

 

On the plus side, I have just enjoyed a very pleasant evening creating my very own trees from copper wire. Something I would never have thought of doing if I had not heard of this tragedy.

Sharing an afterthought here . . . You are on a forum where many of its members have a twisted & distorted view on the BSS. They live in this kind of warped & distorted reality that it somehow interferes in their freedom to squat on the canal & defecate anywhere other than a toilet. The BSS exists because some folk think it's OK to create CO & there will be no consequences ro human life.

 

Is breakfast beer a thing these days? 

[David Mack]

1 hour ago, Naughty Cal said:

Why would anyone even think that is a suitable means of heating for a van, or boat?

They probably had it for other purposes,or perhaps we're given it and thought 'This will do to heat the van, just for a couple of nights when its chilly'.

Which of us hasn't used an item for something other than its intended purpose, because it was readily to hand?

[Russ T]

12 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Is breakfast beer a thing these days? 

Trollsberg. Probably the best lager under the bridge

[Tacet]

1 hour ago, Naughty Cal said:

Why would anyone even think that is a suitable means of heating for a van, or boat?

Because it's a heater?

[mrsmelly]

17 minutes ago, David Mack said:

They probably had it for other purposes,or perhaps we're given it and thought 'This will do to heat the van, just for a couple of nights when its chilly'.

Which of us hasn't used an item for something other than its intended purpose, because it was readily to hand?

I think its fair to say that most of us on the forum only really are so aware of the dangers due to our affiliation with boats. I dont think most people even consider it a danger at home. 

I have bought two smoke and two monoxide detectors off Amazon yesterday and the first job on Friday when we get house keys will be fitting them irrespective of what may already be fitted lol. 

[b00ke23]

A sad case, but not out of the ordinary in terms of typical carbon monoxide deaths over the years. It is also mentioned they were last seen the night before drinking with a friend.......Who wouldn't, it was a cider festival after all. That would have impaired their judgement so it is unfair they be characterised as some sort of Darwinism idiots. It could happen to any average person. 

 

18 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

I think its fair to say that most of us on the forum only really are so aware of the dangers due to our affiliation with boats. I dont think most people even consider it a danger at home. 

 

Exactly.

 

 

 

[Naughty Cal]

56 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

I think its fair to say that most of us on the forum only really are so aware of the dangers due to our affiliation with boats. I dont think most people even consider it a danger at home. 

I have bought two smoke and two monoxide detectors off Amazon yesterday and the first job on Friday when we get house keys will be fitting them irrespective of what may already be fitted lol. 

Yep. First thing we did. Test the wired in smoke and heat detectors and fit two new carbon monoxide detectors near the boiler (the only gas appliance in the house)

[LadyG]

4 hours ago, Naughty Cal said:

Why would anyone even think that is a suitable means of heating for a van, or boat?

Just complete ignorance.

I'm sure back in the day (1960), we had some sort of similar heater, not sure what we used ir for, we had a caravan, and a garage, 

Edited July 23 by LadyG

[jonathanA]

Sadly there are a few cases of gas heater or bbq CO deaths each year. I was involved in one a few years ago when a young man used one of the  cannister type gas heaters in his tent and was overcome by CO. Unfortunately it was a day or so before the campsite operators noticed and found his body.  The family of the young man continue to try to blame the campsite operators....  apparently its not about the money.... (compensation)....

[alias]

4 hours ago, Cha5 said:

Darwinism dictates that they shouldn't have been able to replicate their genes if their genes were faulty, & clearly they were faulty.

 

No, Darwinism observes that individuals with traits that make them better adapted to their environment are, on average, more likely to survive and reproduce.

[Naughty Cal]

3 hours ago, Tacet said:

Because it's a heater?

Yes and on the instructions it will no doubt say to use in a well ventilated area which it would appear this particular camper van wasn't.

 

ETA: Quote from the inquest

 

"He said that the type of heater being used was a Parabolic heater, which is not designed to be used indoors and must be used in well-ventilated areas"

 

It would also appear that the campervan conversion had no background ventilation:

 

'It was an everyday vehicle that was being used. That is why there was no ventilation. It was not designed to be a campervan"

 

With the amount of self build conversions on the road which have no obligation to have any sort of safety test it is a wonder that these incidents are not more prevalent!

 

 

Edited July 23 by Naughty Cal

[cuthound]

I feel so sorry for the children left behind, but why would the parents need heating in their camper van in the middle of a heatwave?

[alias]

27 minutes ago, cuthound said:

I feel so sorry for the children left behind, but why would the parents need heating in their camper van in the middle of a heatwave?

 

There's often a delay from death to inquest. The incident happened on the night of October 11 to 12.

[Chris John]

27 minutes ago, cuthound said:

I feel so sorry for the children left behind, but why would the parents need heating in their camper van in the middle of a heatwave?

You honestly think they’d put a heater in during a heatwave? Wow! (happened in October 25 )

[cuthound]

1 hour ago, alias said:

 

There's often a delay from death to inquest. The incident happened on the night of October 11 to 12.

 

1 hour ago, Chris John said:

You honestly think they’d put a heater in during a heatwave? Wow! (happened in October 25 )

 

Teach me to read the link before commenting.

[waterworks]

I have run various gas heaters in my boat when i've run out of coal and the CO detector has never even noticed and nor have I.  

 

These ones

.

 

 

[Jen-in-Wellies]

2 hours ago, alias said:

 

There's often a delay from death to inquest. The incident happened on the night of October 11 to 12.

It is common for an inquest to be opened soon after a death, then adjurned. Gives time for investigations to run their course, as well as scheduling into the coroner's court timetable. 

[LadyG]

You need to have the CO detector in a a location which is appropriate, this will not be where the smoke alarm is sited. I have two, one by my bedhead, and one near the stove, at sitting head height.

If I feel sleepy I immediately open doors and windows.

I remember using the boat oven as a heater, not a good plan when all doors and windows are firmly closed.

Edited July 23 by LadyG

[b00ke23]

5 hours ago, waterworks said:

I have run various gas heaters in my boat when i've run out of coal and the CO detector has never even noticed and nor have I.  

 

These ones

.

 

 

 

These are superser type heaters which are designed to be used indoors. They have flame failure and oxygen depletion sensor to shut it down if the pilot flame goes out or O2 levels drop too low. They rely on high O2 levels so complete combustion takes place so no/little carbon monoxide is produced, so require ventilation. Along with Carbon dioxide and water vapour, they produce Nitrogen dioxide which isn't ideal for indoor air quality.

 

I imagine most steel canal boats have sufficient door vents and mushroom vents to already have enough ventilation to run one of these, but best to check.       

[Ronaldo47]

I remember that the only source of heating, (apart from the gas cooker) in  small boat we hired at a rather cold  Easter some 40 years ago when myself and my wife did the Four Counties ring in a week for our wedding anniversary, was a catalytic gas fire in the rear cabin. The rear doors did have fixed vents, and we turned it off before turning in at night. 

 

Edited July 23 by Ronaldo47

[Lady M]

I remember those heaters, they seemed quite common in hire boats back then.  Didn't make much difference to the temperature.

[ditchcrawler]

16 hours ago, Ronaldo47 said:

I remember that the only source of heating, (apart from the gas cooker) in  small boat we hired at a rather cold  Easter some 40 years ago when myself and my wife did the Four Counties ring in a week for our wedding anniversary, was a catalytic gas fire in the rear cabin. The rear doors did have fixed vents, and we turned it off before turning in at night. 

 

And the condensation