A family of four tragically passed away on Christmas Day following a suspected carbon monoxide leak at their New Hampshire lake house.
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According to the New York Post, members of the Goldstein family of Newtown, Massachusetts, were discovered dead just before 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 25, after they didn’t show up to a holiday gathering. Extended family members called law enforcement when the Goldsteins were noticeably late for the event.
Officials revealed that high volumes of carbon monoxide were reported inside the Wakefield, New Hampshire, lake house when the bodies were found. Matthew Goldstein, 52, the patriarch of the family, was determined to have died from carbon monoxide poisoning.
Authorities also pointed out that the propane heating system in the lake house appeared to have malfunctioned.
“Efforts to determine the cause of the suspected carbon monoxide leak remain active and ongoing,” New Hampshire State Fire Marshal Sean Toomey stated on Friday, Dec. 27. “And investigators are continuing to inspect the home’s gas heating system.”
Along with Matthew, other family members who died in the suspected carbon monoxide leak were Lyla Goldstein, 54, a project manager at Microsoft; Valerie, 22, a Teach for America fifth-grade teacher in North Carolina; and Violet, 19, a Rhode Island School of Design student.
The cause of death for the three women is currently pending.
Officials pointed out there were no carbon monoxide detectors in the lake house.
Carbon Monoxide Poisonings Kill More Than 400 Americans Not Linked to Fires Each Year
The CDC reported that more than 400 Americans are killed each year due to carbon monoxide poisoning. These are stats from incidents involving poisonings, not linked to fires.
The poisonings also cause more than 100,000 emergency room visits and 14,000 hospitalizations each year.
“Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless gas that kills without warning,” the CDC stated. “It claims the lives of hundreds of people every year and makes thousands more ill. Many household items including gas- and oil-burning furnaces, portable generators, and charcoal grills produce this poison gas.”
The most common symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. The CDC noted that symptoms are often described as “flu-like.”
“If you breathe in a lot of CO, it can make you pass out or kill you,” the CDC said. “People who are sleeping or drunk can die from CO poisoning before they have symptoms.”
The CDC further stated that everyone is at risk for CO poisoning. However, infants, the elderly, and people with chronic heart disease, anemia, or breathing problems are most likely to get sick from carbon monoxide.