'This has become my mission': Mom's warning after son dies from carbon monoxide poisoning while boating - Yahoo Lifestyle

An Oklahoma mother is speaking out about the dangers of open-air carbon monoxide poisoning after the tragic death of her 9-year-old son.

In an interview with TODAY Health, Free recalled that all three of her sons, including 15-year-old Jonathan and 13-year-old Blake, began complaining that they didn’t feel well.

As the family began to dock, Andrew, “crawled onto the back of the boat and curled up in a ball.”.

“We were packing and cleaning up and the kids are groaning that they don’t feel good, just want to take a nap,” said Free.

According to Free, someone suggested testing her eldest sons for carbon monoxide poisoning.

Results showed that both Jonathan and Blake had acute carbon monoxide poisoning, prompting the medical examiner to test Andrew as well.

The 9-year-old’s levels of carbon monoxide were so high, doctors advised Free that by the time he fell into the water he was “already gone.”.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), open air carbon monoxide poisoning occurs when gasoline powered boats (as well as onboard generators) vent the odourless, colourless gas towards the back of the boat.

Idling or travelling at slow speeds can cause a build up of carbon monoxide, something Free said the family did not consider while traveling on Lake Eufaula, which has a long no-wake zone, which required the Frees to travel at a slower speed.

To help prevent carbon monoxide poisoning while boating, the CDC recommends swimming and playing away from areas where engines vent their exhaust and avoid blocking all exhausts which can cause build up.

Educating all passengers on the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, carefully watching all children at the rear of the boat and avoiding anchoring within 20 ft of an idling boat can help prevent carbon monoxide poisoning from occurring.

The CDC reports that early signs of carbon monoxide poisoning include headache, nausea, dizziness, vomiting, chest pain and confusion.

In August, Free took to Facebook to warn others of the dangers of open air carbon monoxide poisoning.

Exactly what I’ve typed: carbon monoxide exits the rear of the boat and drafts right back into the back of the boat,” she wrote.

Free told TODAY that the adults present on the boat the day that Andrew died each had more than twenty years of boating experience, but were unaware of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning!

Free has called life since Andrew’s death “a nightmare” — but she hopes that by sharing his story she can help prevent another family from experiencing a similar tragedy.