3 Family Members Found Dead from Suspected Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: ‘Wonderful People’
The Nahant Police Department received a request for a well-being check at their Massachusetts home on Monday
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Photo of the homeThree family members in Massachusetts have died as a result of an apparent carbon monoxide poisoning.
Essex District Attorney Paul F. Tucker shared the news in a press release, identifying the victims as 77-year-old John Benson, his 74-year-old sister-in-law, Youngae Benson, and 45-year-old Andrew Carruth, who was the nephew of John Benson.
Their bodies were discovered after the Nahant Police Department received a request for a well-being check at the home on Monday.
"The Nahant Police Department and Nahant Fire Department arrived on scene and upon entry discovered three adults who died from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning," the press release said. Foul play is not suspected, per Boston.com.
"It's scary in this little town. Wonderful people, that's all I can say about them. Never a problem with them, always great," neighborhood resident John Molenti told Boston 25 News. Fellow neighborhood resident Ted Mahoney echoed the same sentiments.
"Yeah, I'm shook up, I've seen ambulances here before for medical problems, so I assumed that's what it was last night," he told the outlet. "But then I realized it was a more severe problem. I'm heartbroken. You couldn't get better people."
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the Benson family as they mourn the loss of their loved ones," the Nahant Police Department wrote on Facebook while also sharing the district attorney's press release.
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On Tuesday, the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services shared a video on X, formerly known as Twitter, showing State Fire Marshal Jon M. Divine addressing the importance of having a carbon monoxide alarm.
"@NahantFD & @NahantPolice are reporting 3 tragic deaths in what may have been a #CarbonMonoxide incident. As the investigation w/ @MassStatePolice and @EssexCountyDA continues, we want to remind everyone how important it is to have working CO alarms on every level of your home," their tweet read.
In the video, Divine explained that carbon monoxide is "poisonous to people and pets." He added, "We can't see it, smell it, or taste it. That's why it's so important to have working CO alarms on every level of your home. Replace the batteries twice a year and test them each month to be sure they're working properly."
.@NahantFD & @NahantPolice are reporting 3 tragic deaths in what may have been a #CarbonMonoxide incident. As the investigation w/ @MassStatePolice and @EssexCountyDA continues, we want to remind everyone how important it is to have working CO alarms on every level of your home. https://t.co/650Fd1fNZm
— Massachusetts Department of Fire Services (@MassDFS) January 9, 2024
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According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), carbon monoxide is a "colorless, practically odorless, and tasteless gas or liquid" that results from "incomplete oxidation of carbon in combustion."
Sources of carbon monoxide include gas stoves, leaking chimneys and furnaces, and unvented kerosene and gas space heaters, per the EPA.
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