The death of Miller Gardner, the son of New York Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner, from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning while on vacation last month with his family, is raising questions about whether travelers should carry portable devices to detect the poisonous yet odorless gas while away from home.
Each year, more than 400 Americans die from unintentional carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, more than 100,000 visit the emergency room and more than 14,000 are hospitalized, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Between 1999 to 2020, there were 4,000 incidents involving carbon monoxide at hotels, motels and resorts, CBS News reported last month.
Listings at Airbnb and rival VRBO show whether a lodging is equipped with a CO detector. Not all lodgings, Airbnbs or other rentals have carbon monoxide detectors installed, partly due to a patchwork of state laws, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Airbnb, for its part, says it’s on a mission to get smoke and carbon monoxide alarms installed at all listings, and will cover the cost of a detector for active hosts.
Because of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning, it’s a good idea to travel with a portable detector, Sean Malloy, field chief of the Evanston Fire Department in Illinois, told CBS News.
“Once you you go into your Airbnb, you can plug into the wall, it’s going to beep a couple times to let you know it’s ready and working,” Malloy said.
U.S. travelers who are booking domestic travel can easily travel with a plug-in CO detector, which are small devices that range in price from about $20 to $35 on Amazon, Home Depot or other retailers.
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If the alarm starts beeping during your stay, you’ll want to “immediately get out of the building,” Malloy said.
Americans who are traveling abroad may want to opt for a portable CO detector because of the differences in voltages and plug outlets in other countries.
Some portable CO detectors can cost more than the plug-in versions, with some retailing for about $50 to $60, but they have the benefit of running on batteries, which means travelers won’t need to have the correct plug adaptor to make sure they’re working.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends keeping the device close to where you are sleeping so that it’ll wake you up if CO is detected.
“If you are getting a single detector, place it near the sleeping areas and make certain the alarm is loud enough to wake you up,” the agency says.
