Mother-of-three is forced to call in the fire brigade after almost gassing herself to death while trying to unblock a toilet
- Dominique Heath and her children had to be evacuated from their home
- She used two bottles of One Shot toilet unblocker which reacted with bleach
- The mother-of-three said she felt a burning sensation in her nose and throat
A mother and her children had to be evacuated from their home after she created a deadly chemical reaction while trying to unblock the toilet.
Dominique Heath used two common household cleaning fluids in her toilet after one of her children clogged it up by putting too much paper and a toy down it.
But when the mother-of-three phoned the emergency services and reported a burning sensation in her nose and throat, she was warned to leave the house immediately.
Dominique Heath used two common household cleaning fluids in her toilet, creating a chemical reaction
Ms Heath used two bottles of One Shot toilet unblocker, which reacted with bleach
Ms Heath used two bottles of One Shot toilet unblocker, which reacted with bleach.
After trying and failing to clear the fumes Ms Heath dialled 999 and emergency services told her to leave her house.
Firefighters, who cordoned part of her street of in Nailsea, Somerset, had to wear gas masks to enter her property because of the deadly fumes.
They found it was full of chlorine gas – which is so poisonous that its use as a weapon in chemical warfare is banned by the Geneva Convention.
Ms Heath shared her story online as a warning to others, writing: ‘I have never experienced fumes like it.
‘My throat and eyes feel burned.’
After trying and failing to clear the fumes Ms Heath dialled 999 and emergency services told her to leave her house
Ms Heath shared her story online as a warning to others
She and her family didn’t get back to bed and sleep until 5am the following morning.
Posting her story on Facebook, Ms Heath admitted feeling embarrassed at having to call the emergency services.
‘Never seen so many firemen in my life. Was so embarrassing. Street got cordoned off with red tape. I am hiding in my house today,’ she wrote.
‘It was really serious. We are all OK, but it was the dumbest thing I have ever done – please don’t do this!’