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Deadly gas knocks out two sisters' husbands
A WOMAN and her sister thought they would become widows on the same night when deadly carbon monoxide gas knocked out their husbands.
June Milner, 59, of McCleod Road, Abbey Wood, was staying at the home of her sister Pat Godfrey, 60, when the drama unfolded in the middle of the night.
Both their husbands mysteriously fell with a thud to the landing floor within minutes of each other.
As Pat's 64-year-old husband Ted's face turned beetroot in colour, the face of June's partner Philip, 60, was ashen with bright red lips.
The Milners were staying with the Godfreys at their home in Devon when dangerous levels of carbon monoxide were produced from a multi-fuel burning stove.
June, a mum-of-one, said: "The thought that flashed though my mind was, 'Oh my God we are going to become widows on the same day'. We were there on a 'crash-out' weekend because Philip had been working for the past 30 days on the trot.
"We had gone to bed at about midnight and then we heard a thud on the landing and rushed out to see that Ted had collapsed. We thought that he was having a stroke. Then Philip collapsed as well and when he tried to get up he became paralysed on all fours.
"Eventually Ted, who had been slipping in and out of consciousness, suggested it could be carbon monoxide poisoning from the stove. We called 999 and they told us to get out of the house as soon as possible."
Devon and Somerset fire and rescue service, which arrived just before 4am on Saturday, October 13, recorded high levels of carbon monoxide on its gas detection unit despite the fact the couples had opened the windows.
They were all given oxygen in the ambulance and taken to a nearby hospital for check-ups.
June, who works at Abbey Wood Community Centre in Knee Hill, said: "The emergency services said we were four lucky
people to survive and be able to live to tell the tale. I don't think people realise enough about the dangers of carbon monoxide.
"I want to warn people to be aware and get the monitors for their homes and to take them when they go on holiday.
"Even if everything has been properly tested things can still go wrong. My sister had recently had the burner serviced and their chimney swept out."
Sent: 25/10/2007
Email us direct at: repairs@londonheatingservices.co.uk
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