Forkston Twp, Pa – Authorities believe that carbon monoxide may have killed three men who were found dead Saturday afternoon at an unfinished cabin in Forkston Township.
The cabin is located off Bowman Hollow Road.
“They came up to go hunting,” Wyoming County coroner Tom Kukuchka said Sunday night. “Their deaths appear to be carbon monoxide poisoning.”
He gave the identities of the three men as: David Joseph Grasch, 27, of Cape May, N.J.; Patrick Maltoriey, Jr., 22, of Clayton, Del.; Anthony DiMartino, 21, of Philadelphia.
He said the three men were part of a larger group that owned the 2-story cabin.
Wyoming County District Attorney George Skumanick, Jr., said that the men appeared to be dead for about a day before they were found in the garage, where the generator ran.
He would not describe how the police were led to the cabin.
However, Forkston Township secretary Madge (Joy) Severcool, who lives about two miles from where the men’s cabin is located, understood that a local man was contacted after a family member of one of the victims could not reach him by cell phone. Upon discovery, the man called the authorities.
She also said the property was part of a 72-lot development known as the Forkston Mountain Association.
Skumanick said, “It appears to be accidental. It comes down to a lack of ventilation.”
Skumanick described the garage as closed up, except for windows that were slightly open.
An autopsy scheduled for Tuesday was expected to confirm whether the men had died from carbon monoxide poisoning, State Police Cpl. Bradley Shatinsky said.
Beware of CO poisoning
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas. This invisible, poisonous gas is produced from burning fuels such as natural gas, gasoline, fuel oil, or wood — for example, in indoor heating systems, car engines, cooking appliances or fires.
Carbon monoxide poisoning develops when you inhale enough carbon monoxide for it to begin to replace the oxygen that is carried in the blood. As the oxygen in the blood is replaced by carbon monoxide, the body’s organs and tissues, which depend on oxygen, cannot work properly.
Symptoms may include headaches, dizziness, or nausea. If the exposure continues, you may lose consciousness and die. Exposure to low levels of carbon monoxide over a prolonged period of time can cause severe heart and brain damage.
To help prevent carbon monoxide poisioning, install a carbon monoxide detector on each level of your home and near sleeping areas. Know what to do if the detector alarm goes off. Get everyone out of the house or building and call the fire department or your local utility company from a nearby phone. Even if you are using a carbon monoxide detector, have your heating system inspected each year.