Carbon Monoxide

[Fly Rod]

Interesting in "Go Boating" magazine.<br />Brother & sister while sitting on swim platform of a stationary boat while motor running at idle<br />surcom to carbon monoxide poisoning while father was putting on ski vest. Girl was laying in prone position on platform and became unconscious. <br />Brother was sitting on platform as he was removed from the platform he complained of severe headache; vomited and passed out. Both sent to hospital and survived.<br /><br />A study done on recreational boats by the institute for occupational safety & health did an extensive survey on carbon monoxide.<br />The stern of a boat proved to be the most dangeous place to be regardless of whether it was ski boat; houseboat; cuddy or full cabin.<br /><br />The study also showed that all of the boats with high carbon monoxide were some sort of four stroke power, whether inboard or stern drive.<br />The old two stroke was the worst with carbon monoxide emmissions.<br />The two stroke DFI had hardly any carbon monoxide registtering at any point in the boat

 

[18rabbit]

Re: Carbon Monoxide

CO is a serious issue for all inboards, too. One of the most overlooked pieces of safety equipment; a CO detector in each compartment.

 

[SCO]

Re: Carbon Monoxide

People have lost their lives due to generators and houseboats, swimming in the stern area where the generator exhaust is ported there. WRT skiing, the motor should be off anyway when skiers enter or leave the water as part of basic safety. I've read that CO has a much greater affinity for the heme group in red blood cells than oxygen, and once it attaches there ,it is difficult to get it off. Suffocation is the result.

 

[Ross J]

Re: Carbon Monoxide

Bang on SCO. Co assimilates into haemoglobin at twice the rate of Oxygen. It is also very difficult to get to leave the system.<br />I've personally seen urgent admissions to our psychiatric ICU following clearance from am ED of a general hospital where I've had to place them back on Oxygen therapy because they've shown signs of toxicity. Usually they start to feel tingly feeling in their fingers or toes.<br />Bloody dangerous stuff.<br />Ross

 

[mellowyellow]

Re: Carbon Monoxide

excellent reminder! should post in the boat section<br />for everyone to read. adding a C/M detector to my<br />list of stuff for new boat now

 

[18rabbit]

Re: Carbon Monoxide

Co assimilates into haemoglobin at twice the rate of Oxygen

If I remember correctly, CO’s affinity for hemoglobin is about 200 times that of O2. That is why effective treatment often requires hyperbaric exposure to pure O2; to increase the O2 gradient to a competitive level.

 

[JoeW]

Re: Carbon Monoxide

A couple of years ago a 12 year old boy died of CO poisoning in a local lake. He was hanging off the swim platform of his dad's ski boat (inboard) while the boat slowly towed him and his sister. He was in a wet suit, but he fell unconcious (sp?) and slipped under the water. They found him a couple of days later.