Rocky Mountain News

DENVER — A small charcoal grill being used to heat the home of a Denver family is suspected as the source of carbon monoxide poisoning that sent a toddler and his parents to the hospital.

Denver fire fighters received a call about 11:03 a.m. that a toddler was unconscious on a duplex in the 3600 block of West Walsh Place, Heather Green, a technician with the Denver Fire Department said. When fire crews arrived, they found an unconscious toddler and a couple that was "acting a bit peculiar."

Green said firefighters found high levels of carbon monoxide.

All three were transported to the hospital by Denver Health ambulances, she said.

No details were available on their identities, conditions, or what hospital was treating the family.

A neighbor, Rose Marquette, said an elderly man banged on her apartment door.

When she answered the door, the man handed over his phone and repeated, "You help me. You help me."

"The dispatch was asking me his address. I didn’t even know who he was or where he lived. I pointed to the door and he nodded with his head," she said.

After she provided dispatch with the address, she went into the apartment and saw the small grill on the kitchen floor. There were no flames in the grill but the coals appeared to be lit.

Marquette said the toddler, who was about two to three years old, was struggling to cry, but was breathing.
She said she could not tell if the child was a boy or girl.

"The little baby would open his eyes. He was breathing and crying," she said. "He didn’t look unconscious. He looked relatively OK," Marquette said.

Marquette said the couple did not speak English.