Alberta family warns about dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning on boats

A day on the water turned into a terrifying ordeal for a Spruce Grove family.

Brandon Ryan and six-year-old Valerie both suffered carbon monoxide poisoning after a day on the water at Wizard Lake near Calmar in July.

Valerie and Ryan were on a wakesurfing boat, at the back on the swim platform, when he realized something was wrong.

“She went from laughing and giggling to full seizure in about 10 seconds,” Ryan said.

He watched her fall to her side and then stop breathing. He began to give her CPR.

“The doctors said [if I didn’t give CPR], she wouldn’t have come off the boat.”

Doctors told the family the seizure was caused by carbon monoxide poisoning from the boat’s exhaust.

Carbon monoxide is an odourless and colourless gas. Exposure symptoms include nausea, headache or dizziness.

“They put Valerie on oxygen and ran all the tests on her. I came later. Her carbon monoxide levels came back through the roof, even after being on oxygen.”

Together, they entered a hyperbaric oxygen chamber chamber for three hours.

“Once her levels normalized the doctors told us everything. We realized we had hung out a little too close, for a little too long,” he said.

“Something I have done a hundred times on the back on the boat. Being outside, you don’t really think about it. It’s pretty hard to fathom to be honest.”

Boat expert Gordie Wood said carbon monoxide is normally released under the water.

“But sometimes weather conditions and subtle things like wind direction can play an important part,” he said.

“As the operator, pay a bit of attention to the wind and make sure when you’re out there enjoying it,  the wind should be coming from the bow instead of from the stern.”

He said because boating is an open air environment, it’s not very common to be