A man has died and his wife and son left seriously ill after suspected carbon monoxide poisoning.
The family was staying at a holiday chalet near Peebles in the Scottish Boarders.
Michael Travers found his wife and son unconscious and immediately phoned for help. But he too fell ill before medics arrived and was pronounced dead when they arrived.
His wife and son were taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and are in a serious condition.
Although investigations are ongoing, reports suggest that carbon monoxide was the cause.
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Our Thoughts
This is a tragic event, and our thoughts go out to all their friends and family.
The consequences of this tragedy are unfortunately not unique.
Because you can’t see, taste, smell, or even hear CO, it’s easy for people to inhale it accidently.
And often people misdiagnose the symptoms as having the flu.
Symptoms to look out for include headaches, dizziness, drowsiness, breathlessness, nausea, and eventual loss of consciousness.
If you suspect carbon monoxide, then immediately call for help and get everyone into fresh air.
When exposed to a small amount, fresh air can often be enough to relieve the symptoms.
Exposure to high amounts of CO over a sustained period can have serious effects.
This is because once it gets into your blood, oxygen is no longer transported to your brain and other vital organs.
Appliances which burn gas, wood, oil and coal, such as boilers and fireplaces, produce carbon monoxide when faulty.
And because we rely on these to keep us warm on a cold night, carbon monoxide poisoning cases rise significantly between November and February.
Keeping them well maintained and serviced by professionals prevents problems from arising. CO is most often produced when something is not working as it should.
Fitting carbon monoxide alarms is a good way of ensuring you’re warned before the gas reaches a really dangerous level.
As it is not always a legal requirement to rented properties to have these alarms installed, taking one with you on holiday could save your life.
This is particularly true abroad as their gas safety rules are far more laid back than ours.