ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, July 21, 1996 TAG: 9607220096
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JON CAWLEY
Six people were taken to the hospital Saturday after becoming ill from carbon monoxide exposure on a rented houseboat on Smith Mountain Lake.
Four Marine Fire Company boats responded about 6 a.m. to a houseboat moored off Bar Island in Pittsylvania County and found six very ill people on the deck, said Jim Swann, EMS coordinator for Smith Mountain Lake Volunteer Marine Fire Company.
"All [of the occupants] were conscious and experiencing nausea, vomiting and headaches - classic signs of carbon monoxide poisoning," Swann said.
Chris Brooks, 28, of Chesterfield; Scott Payne, 24, of Louisa; Ricky Rupp, 31, of Aylett; Lisa Feller, 27, of Mechanicsville; Gina Varacalli, 25, of Richmond; and Lisa Kidd, 21, of Goode were transported by the Cool Branch and Glade Hill rescue squads to Franklin Memorial Hospital in Rocky Mount, Swann said.
All were released from the hospital, an emergency room nurse said.
The poisoning seemed to be the result of a "bad generator that was left running all night," Swann said. "But I can't speculate on what caused the generator to go bad."
The houseboat had been rented from Camper's Paradise Campground and Marina on Smith Mountain Lake, Swann said.
Camper's Paradise personnel refused to comment on the incident Saturday night.
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