A seven-year-old girl apparently died from carbon monoxide poisoning in a Florida home in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office said.
Shashunda Wilson, 41, woke up in her Lakeland, Florida, home on Wednesday to find her daughter, Terryn, dead next to her.
Wilson told 911 responders that they were running a generator in the living room of their home while they slept in a bedroom with the door closed.
Shashunda Wilson, 41, woke up in her Lakeland, Florida, home on Wednesday to find her daughter, Terryn, dead next to her. They were running a generator in the living room of their home while they slept in a bedroom with the door closed
She had apparently the generator to power a fan in the bedroom that was blowing fresh air into the room from a window, according to TBO.
Despite the door being shut, Polk County Fire Rescue found high levels of carbon monoxide inside the home.
Polk County officials have urged people not to keep their generators inside their homes or garages because the results could be deadly.
Wilson was sitting outside when officials arrived at the home and had told 911 responders that she felt dizzy when she woke up, WFLA reported.
Officials opened windows of the home to clear the carbon monoxide from inside before going in to find Terryn’s body.
Despite the door being shut, Polk County Fire Rescue found high levels of carbon monoxide inside the home (pictured above)
Wilson lives in a duplex, and the adjoining residence also had high levels of carbon monoxide, though no one was injured.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said this is the first Irma-related death to be investigated by his agency.
An autopsy will be performed to determine Terryn’s exact cause of death.
The Sheriff’s County reminded people not to keep running generators in their homes or garages.
‘All generators and gas grills should be operated outside in well-ventilated locations, away from all doors and windows,’ Judd said. ‘Do not operate generators or grills in a garage. If you start to feel sick, dizzy, or weak while using a generator or gas grill, get to fresh air RIGHT AWAY. DO NOT DELAY.’