A carbon monoxide (CO) leak almost proved fatal to three campers on the White River National Wildlife Refuge in Arkansas over the Memorial Day Weekend.

The three men were camping in a motorhome at the refuge’s Horseshoe Lake campground Thursday night. The RV air conditioner was not working, so they turned on the vehicle’s engine to cool the sleeping area.

Around 3 a.m., one of the men woke with a headache. Realizing that he was suffering from CO poisoning, he managed to get to the RV’s driver’s seat and honk the horn. Other campers in the area responded and got the men out of the RV. They used the vehicle’s Onstar function to call for help.

Arkansas County Sheriff’s Department deputy Bobby Dumond, refuge officer Richard Gray and an ambulance from DeWitt Hospital all responded.

When they arrived, “the three men were on the ground,” Dumond said. “The ambulance crew gave them oxygen, and they all started to come around.”

The men, whose names were not released, were treated at DeWitt Hospital and released.

Story Source