READING, Pa. – The owner of The Gables at Stirling Guest Hotel in Reading is warning about the dangers of carbon monoxide after he says one of his employees likely died from carbon monoxide poisoning at home.
“It was just uncharacteristic of him not to show up,” explained Cesar Gonzales, an owner of the Stirling Guest Hotel. “He would come in even when he was sick.”
When 59-year-old Francis Horst didn’t show up to the Gables Bed and Breakfast in University City on Tuesday, Gonzales knew something was wrong. Horst, a longtime gardener for the B&B in Philadelphia and a volunteer at the Stirling Guest Hotel in Reading, was one of the most dedicated employees.
“He has been with the firm for 30 years; that’s all he knew,” Gonzales said. “He didn’t have any family. We were his family.”
Gonzales drove to Horst’s apartment, located in the 4700 block of Chester Avenue in Philadelphia, to check on him.
“Eventually, around 3 p.m., I went to his apartment and found him dead,” Gonzales said. “I called 911 and, immediately, they tested the air quality, and it was determined there were high levels of carbon monoxide.”
Gonzales says firefighters showed up within minutes and asked residents to evacuate. Now, he wants people to make sure they have working carbon monoxide detectors.
“I think if I didn’t go there, there could be any other causalities in the building, because the issue wasn’t isolated to his apartment; it was in his entire building,” added Gonzales. “We’re in shock. A lot of our long-term guests have been coming there for 15-20 years, so they know Francis. A lot of the neighbors know him very well. He takes care of our yard, but he takes care of pretty much the entire neighborhood.”
“There has to be one on every level of the house and one outside of the bedrooms,” Lt. Trent Zulick, an investigator with the Reading Fire Marshal’s Office, said about carbon monoxide detectors.
Zulick says carbon monoxide is especially dangerous because it is an odorless, colorless and tasteless gas.
He says people should check their carbon monoxide detectors every six months. If you do not have a carbon monoxide detector, Zulick urges you to get one.
“That alone can be the difference between life and death,” he said. “Absolutely.”
Zulick says it’s also important that people regularly maintenance stoves, chimneys and any appliances that run off of fossil fuels.
“If you have a fossil fuel burning appliance, you should have it serviced and cleaned every year,” Zulick said. “Your chimney should be inspected every year. If it needs to be cleaned, it should be cleaned on a regular basis.”
Because it cannot be seen or smelled, Zulick says it’s important to recognize the physical symptoms one may feel. They include headaches, nausea and tiredness.
