Church Members Sickened by Carbon Monoxide

RIVERDALE PARK, MD — One person was taken to the hospital in good condition Sunday after a carbon monoxide leak in a church sickened worshipers.

Prince George’s County Fire Department Spokesman Mark Brady said crews were called about 11 a.m. Sunday to the Refreshing Spring Church of God, 6200 Riverdale Road.

Several church members left the building and reported feeling sick at home.

Brady said high levels of the odorless gas were found inside the church.

The church’s gas-fired furnace was the source of the leak

County law requires a CO detector on every level of your home. The odorless and invisible gas is a byproduct of combustion, the fire department says. Exposure to CO will initially make you feel sick, while prolonged exposure can be fatal.

A working CO detector is the only device available to provide a warning of unhealthy levels of the deadly gas.