On November 11, Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO), Shepherd Volunteer Fire Department (SVFD), and American Medical Response (AMR) responded to a sick or injured call at an address on Brookhaven Place in Shepherd where the person who had reported the incident had found a man and a woman unconscious.
Upon emergency respondents’ arrival, it was determined that a gas-powered generator had been running inside the residence with a deputy reporting a strong odor of combustion engine exhaust. According to Sheriff Mike Linder, the woman passed away at the scene, but the male is recovering as of last report. Sheriff Linder stated that the department has yet to receive the toxicology report but based on the circumstances, the department believes the occupants were overcome by carbon monoxide (CO) produced by the generator found running in the residence.
With winter coming and residents beginning to use heating devices for the season, SVFD recommends checking that all smoke alarms and CO detectors are operational in your residence (CO detectors should be mounted 12 to18 inches off the floor as CO is a heavy gas that sinks to the floor), and also recommends ensuring proper ventilation when operating equipment that may produce carbon monoxide.
