CO sickens 34 people at Powell

Rangers at Lake Powell are warning summer recreationers to be careful after dozens of people were sickened by carbon monoxide fumes on houseboats.

Early Wednesday morning, 34 people reported being sickened aboard a pair of houseboats anchored at Bullfrog Bay.

"It was a family reunion," said Marianne Karraker, a spokeswoman for the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. "There was a pregnant mother, lots of small children through adults."

Rangers said 34 people started feeling sick late Tuesday night. Rangers treated 21 at a nearby medical clinic for carbon monoxide poisoning early Wednesday, though none was seriously hurt.

Near the Dangling Rope Marina, three people complained of being sick from carbon monoxide. They were treated for minor symptoms.

In both instances, houseboats had generators running the air conditioning, pumping out the deadly carbon monoxide.

"We went five years without a fatality until this (past) weekend," said Karraker.

That was when a 7-year-old Flagstaff, Ariz., girl died while swimming with a friend near a houseboat at Lake Powell. Rangers said Megan Evans was overcome by the gas and died.

The Glen Canyon National Recreation Area continues to stress houseboat safety after a rash of carbon monoxide deaths and injuries in recent years. On its Web site, the National Park Service said anytime generators are running, CO is produced.

For the family reunion, Karraker said the houseboat's windows were closed for air conditioning.

"There's no way to vent all those houseboats enough," she said Wednesday. "If you open all the windows, it defeats the purpose of air conditioning."

---

E-mail: bwinslow@desnews.com