Snowshoe Mountain Resort Employees Taken to Hospital Due to Carbon Monoxide Exposure from Leak | Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp

Five employees of the Snowshoe Mountain Resort in Pocahontas County, West Virginia (WV) were taken to the hospital after they were exposed to high levels of carbon monoxide. The employees are expected to survive, but the side effects of carbon monoxide gas exposure can last for weeks after the incident.

“A carbon monoxide level of 500 parts per million was found in some of the rooms and hallways,” said Captain Shawn Dunbrack of Marlinton EMS, according to the Pocahontas Times. “We evacuated the entire building and treated five patients, two of whom were unresponsive.”

Reports indicate that a leak developed in the Seneca building’s boiler system, according to the Charleston Gazette. The leak has been repaired but many questions remain on how Snowshoe management could neglect checking on the boiler system and allow a leak to develop that could cause employees to become seriously ill.

One of the major concerns following exposure to high levels of carbon monoxide gas is the severe neurological problems such as short-term memory loss, speech problems, amnesia, and depression. These delayed neurological issues may occur in up to half of people exposed to high levels of carbon monoxide and can appear a month after the exposure, according to the Karger Journal.

Let’s hope the Snowshoe employees do not suffer these terrible side effects. But if they do, each employee should consult with an attorney right away.

PA