Twenty-year-old Gary Wayne Jennings returned home last Saturday at 8:50 p.m. to find four members of his family unconscious on the ground in their home and promptly called the sheriff’s office for help.
The Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office responded to the “unknown medical crisis” call from Frohn Township. Unfortunately, Coleen Lynn Hennings, age 50 — a Bemidji State University (BSU) administrative assistant in the College of Health Sciences and Human Ecology and a 27-year BSU staff member — was already deceased when Gary Wayne Jennings, her son, arrived. Her death was determined to be caused by carbon monoxide poisoning.
The other three — Emma Lee Jennings, age 24, Christopher Daniel Crew, age 30, and Vincent Paul Beyl, age 57 — were rushed to North County Regional Hospital (NCRH). They were later transferred to Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) by North Air Ambulance and Bemidji Ambulance for further care.
Gary Wayne Jennings and three Beltrami County deputies were admitted to NCRH to be treated for exposure to the poisonous gas and were later released Saturday.
The carbon monoxide leak was found to be caused by a defective furnace in the basement of the residence and a flawed flute on the residence’s water heater.
According to carbonmonoxide.com, carbon monoxide poisoning causes upwards of 40,000 poisonings a year in the United States, resulting in over 2,500 deaths.
Exposure and poisoning by this deadly gas peaks in the winter with furnaces and boilers running excessively throughout the bitter season.
Though there are some symptoms caused by this deadly gas, carbon monoxide is often called "the silent killer," because it is odorless and colorless.
One of the easiest ways to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning is to buy a carbon monoxide detector. It works much like a smoke detector and will sound if it detects any trace of the deadly gas. Detectors run for anywhere from $20-$100, depending on how many detectors you want in your home.
Not only are carbon monoxide detectors recommended for residences, but in this winter season anglers are advised to put detectors in their permanent ice houses that often use propane run heaters with limited ventilation.
As of Feb. 1, Beyl has been released from HCMC, Emma Lee Jennings’s condition has been determined satisfactory and Crew’s circumstances have gone from critical to serious condition.
Coleen Jennings’s funeral will be held at Cease Funeral Home in Bemidji, MN, with Rev. Dan Heath officiating on Thursday, Feb. 4, at 11 a.m. A visitation will also be held on Wednesday, Feb. 3, from 5-7 p.m. at Cease Funeral Home and one hour prior to the service Thursday. As per Coleen Jennings’s wishes, there will be no burial.
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