A woman and her infant son died in a carbon-monoxide poisoning incident at a construction site in Randhart, Alberton, today. Her husband is fighting for his life in the Natalspruit State Hospital.
The cause of the poisoning and the series of events preceding it remain uncertain and will form the subject of a South
African Police Force investigation.
Common cause information suggests that the family had been using a charcoal fire for warmth in an informal dwelling on a construction site. Either falling asleep or overwhelmed by the noxious gas, the couple failed to extinguish the fire which is thought to have burnt through the night in an adjacent room.
Their bodies were discovered by a passerby in the morning who immediately called 082 911.
Netcare911 Paramedics arrived at the scene to find that the woman and her baby had died during the course of the night. Her husband was clinging to life and was in a critical condition. Advanced life support paramedics intervened and intubated the man before placing him on a manual ventilator.
He was transported by ambulance to the state medical facility where he remains in a critical state.
Carbon-monoxide poisoning is particularly prevalent in the winter months as many resort to fires for warmth. Caution should be exercised in the practice, and those doing so should ensure that homes or dwellings are adequately ventilated.
In the event of an emergency, call for help immediately (082 911) and remove the person for the gas source as soon as possible.
Jeffrey Wicks
Media Liaison Officer - Gauteng
Netcare Limited
Netcare 911
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