Two days ago, a man was found dead in his rowhouse in Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood, apparently after inhaling toxic levels of carbon monoxide. His girlfriend, who shared the house with him, was found semi-conscious, also seemingly due to carbon monoxide poisoning.
According to police, the body of Gerald Creighton, 56, was discovered yesterday morning by his brother. Creighton’s girlfriend, Deborah Moffitt, 53, was also found semiconscious and nonresponsive in the same room and immediately taken to the Hospital at UPenn, where she was listed in critical condition.
Upon investigation of the house, fire marshals and Philadelphia Gas Works officials discovered a blocked exhaust duct which they said had caused the carbon monoxide to accumulate inside the house.
Creighton’s block was evacuated for several hours so that investigators could monitor adjacent homes for unhealthy levels of carbon monoxide.
At home improvement stores, online, and at large retailers like Target and Wal-Mart, carbon monoxide detectors are available for around $25. They sit quietly in your home just like smoke detectors, but will save your life in cases of elevated carbon monoxide, which is otherwise undetectable, having no smoky particles and no odor.
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