Two people have died and two remain in critical condition, following their exposure to carbon monoxide poisoning in a Boone County home.
Boone County Sheriff Tim Roberson reports in a social media posting that his office responded to a call of unresponsive individuals found at a residence located off New Hope Road Monday.
Sheriff Roberson says when emergency personnel arrived at the location, they discovered four individuals unresponsive inside a small storage structure the family was living in.
Fifty-nine-year-old Eston Warren was pronounced dead at the scene.
Emergency personnel performed lifesaving treatment to 50-year-old Betty Warren, 29-year-old Amber Watts and a 9-year-old female. The child was transported to North Arkansas Regional Medical Center and was later pronounced dead.
The two female victims were transported by air ambulance to Cox South in Springfield, where they remain in critical condition.
Roberson says the cause of the incident was determined to be carbon monoxide poisoning due to kerosene heaters being utilized within the small space.
Sheriff Roberson says in the post that during times of extreme cold or power outages, to use caution when utilizing generators and alternate heat sources in confined living spaces. Carbon monoxide is produced from these heat sources and combustion engines that prevents the body from getting oxygen.
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headache, nausea, dizziness, vomiting, chest pain, confusion and shortness of breath. The sheriff encourages families to check fire extinguishers and smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
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