10 people, including 5 kids hospitalized after family uses charcoal grill inside Baymeadows apartment

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — UPDATE 1/4/2019: Five children from carbon monoxide incident have been discharged, and the two adults have been upgraded to good condition, according to Baptist Health.

Several people, including children, were taken to the hospital Friday morning after a charcoal grill sparked a carbon monoxide incident.

The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department received a call about children not feeling well at Baytree on Baymeadows apartment complex around 4:16 a.m.

The children were sick, dizzy and some of them were vomiting, when firefighters arrived.

JFRD said they noticed high levels of carbon monoxide, an odorless and colorless gas that can be deadly. The large family, 10 people, were using a charcoal grill inside the apartment, according to JFRD.

The family was either cooking something or trying to stay warm, according to firefighters.

Firefighters told Action News Jax eight people -- five children and three adults -- had to be taken to the hospital by first responders for possible poisoning.

The children were taken to Wolfson Children’s Hospital and the three adults were taken to Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville Emergency Center. Two other people inside the apartment drove themselves to the hospital.

1 of the adults who was taken to the hospital by rescue crews has been released from the hospital as of Friday afternoon. The two other adults taken to the hospital are in fair condition.

“Fair means vital signs are stable and within normal limits. Patient is conscious, but may be uncomfortable. Indicators are favorable,” according to a Baptist Medical Center representative.

“I can’t emphasize how dangerous of a situation this is -- carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas, that potentially, we could have had an apartment with 10 dead people and nobody would have known anything,” Eric Prosswimmer, a firefighter, said.

JFRD said four units were temporarily evacuated.

The family at the hospital is expected to be OK and the carbon monoxide issue is under control, JFRD said.

The levels of carbon monoxide in the children have dropped dramatically, but they will be staying at the hospital overnight for observation. The children are listed as being in good condition.

“Good means vital signs are stable and within normal limits. Patient is conscious and comfortable. Indicators are excellent,” according to a Baptist Medical Center representative.

“The children weren’t very severe; they were more on the mild to moderate side they didn’t have any of the altered mental status or significant neurologic symptoms,” said Dr. Mark Toney, chief of hospital pediatrics for Wolfson Children’s Hospital and and Nemours Children’s Specialty Care.

Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Read more here to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning your home.

Children being treated for possible carbon monoxide poisoning Children being treated for possible carbon monoxide poisoning

© 2020 Cox Media Group