The incident happened at the Quality Inn & Suites hotel in Niles, Mi. on Saturday morning. Bryan Douglas Watts, 13, of Niles was found in an unresponsive state from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning at a hotel pool at 10 a.m. Saturday. Five other children, aged from 10 to 14 years of age, were also found unconscious at the pool. Watts was taken to the Lakeland Hospital where he was pronounced dead, while the other children are receiving medical treatment at the Memorial Hospital in South Bend. Most are stable, while one child is in a critical condition.
Pool heater ventilation system faulty
Reportedly, the ventilation system for the pool heater at the hotel's indoor pool was faulty, causing a buildup of carbon monoxide. Niles Fire Captain Don Wise said firefighters found concentrations as high as 800 parts per million on arrival in the pool area and immediately opened the doors to air the room. However, Wise thinks the carbon monoxide levels were probably much higher before the doors had been opened. Reportedly, levels that high can cause people to fall unconscious after around an hour.
According to Niles police, a seventh child also suffered carbon monoxide poisoning. She was found in a first floor hotel room and had been with the other children shortly before.
As police spoke to her, she became unresponsive, but officials managed to get her fully conscious and took her to a waiting ambulance. At that stage the hotel was fully evacuated, with officers going from door to door to ensure everyone had left. Reportedly, there were 24 rooms booked in the hotel at the time.
12 people needed medical treatment for carbon monoxide poisoning
MLive reports that a Berrien County Sheriff’s deputy and a Niles police officer also had to be taken to the hospital for treatment but were later released. According to Wise there were 12 people in total who received medical treatment.
Carbon monoxide at hotel pool suspected in Michigan death https://t.co/pizKHDUE0r
— Brad Enslen (@bradenslen) April 1, 2017
The hotel has now closed while repairs are being made to the heater ventilation system for the indoor pool and it is presently not clear when it will reopen.
As reported by CNN, the owner of the brand, Choice Hotels, said in a statement about the incident that it is cooperating with local officials and that their highest priority is the safety and well-being of their guests.
