Authorities in southwestern Michigan have identified a 13-year-old boy who died after a carbon monoxide leak in a hotel pool area that also sickened about a dozen people.
Employees at the Quality Inn & Suites in Niles called 911 around 10 a.m. Saturday after seeing six unresponsive children on the pool deck. Police say a seventh child was found unresponsive in a first-floor room.
Police Chief Jim Millin says Bryan Douglas Watts of Niles was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. Millin says responding officers administered chest compressions to some children and helped get the affected kids into awaiting ambulances.
Two responding officers were treated for carbon monoxide exposure and released from the hospital.
Authorities say an elevated level of carbon monoxide was detected in the pool area, with higher levels recorded in the pool maintenance room.
Choice Hotels, which owns Quality Inn, said in a statement that its thoughts were with the affected families, and that this “isolated incident” occurred at an independently-owned franchise.
