Bourne, MA – Two men working inside the engine room of a boat were exposed to life-threatening levels of carbon monoxide Saturday, fire officials said.
At 2:23 p.m. at the Eagle Marine Co. on State Street, a 78-year-old Pocasset man was working with his son-in-law, 46, inside a 36-foot boat that was encased in shrink wrap. Bourne fire officials said the men had the engine running and were nearly overcome by the fumes.
The men managed to extricate themselves from the boat by the time fire officials arrived, but the 78-year-old was in and out of consciousness and the younger man complained of severe headaches.
A rescue crew tested the air just inside an entryway of the boat and found the air contained more than 900 parts per million of carbon monoxide. Fire officials said it is generally considered unsafe to work in an environment with carbon monoxide levels above 35 ppm.
The men were working in the boat’s engine room, and the carbon monoxide levels in that location would have been significantly higher, fire officials said.
The shrink wrap on the boat was immediately removed and both men were taken to Falmouth Hospital. Their names and conditions were not available.
Police did not have information on the incident.