Heating system malfunction apparent cause of carbon monoxide poisoning that sent dozens to hospital following church services
At least 49 people received treatment for carbon monoxide poisoning after attending Sunday worship services at the Monroe East meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in central Utah.
“The church is taking this matter seriously and is investigating the cause of the malfunction with the heating system at a chapel in Monroe, Utah,” church spokesman Sam Penrod said in a statement provided to the Deseret News.
The statement said 54 people reported symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning and 49 were treated. Officials said 22 people had to be transported by ambulance to receive specialized treatment.
“The meetinghouse will remain closed until we can ensure the safety of the building,” Penrod said. “The church is working to support medical and other expenses for those affected. We are concerned for the well-being of everyone impacted and are praying for their recovery.”
Sevier County Emergency Medical Services responded Sunday to two medical calls at the chapel in Monroe, according to a news release issued by the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office. Monroe is a small city of about 2,250 people about 130 miles south of Provo.
The first call reported a 4-year-old girl with breathing problems. She had been sick earlier in the week, so her symptoms were attributed to the illness. An hour later, a second call was made from the meetinghouse about an adult male who felt sick. He thought he was experiencing low blood sugar and went home to treat himself.
When all the members of a family reported having headaches after they returned home from church, the Monroe City Fire Department checked the building and found high levels of carbon monoxide and evacuated the building.
More people reported illness and sought treatment Sunday evening at Sevier Valley Hospital in Richfield.
“In all, 22 individuals were needing to be transported to hospitals out of the area for carbon monoxide poisoning treatment. This required 10 ambulance transports to get everyone to a hospital that had a hyperbaric chamber that could treat the patients,” the news release said.
Sevier County did not have enough ambulances or personnel so Piute County EMS and Gunnison Valley Hospital ambulances assisted, the news release said. The ambulance transfers continued until 10 a.m. on Monday. Those who could transported themselves to the hospital.
“The exact cause of the poisoning had not been discovered at this time,” Sevier County’s release said. “Church officials are working to resolve the problem.”
The county also thanked the multiple agencies across two counties and several cities.
“Just another example of how rural Utah works together to overcome critical incidents,” it said.
Carbon monoxide, or “CO,” is a gas that, because it is odorless and colorless, can kill or cause illness without warning when inhaled, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Unintentional carbon monoxide poisonings, separate from fires, kill 400 Americans each year and annually cause more than 100,000 emergency room visits and 14,000 hospitalizations.
The most common symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are headache, weakness, dizziness, chest pain, nausea, vomiting and confusion, according to the CDC.
