Posted on 09/27/2009 9:15:13 PM PDT by PetroniusMaximus
When Dr. Bryan Kirby and his wife Samantha tried to wake up their 2-year-old twin boys around 8:30 a.m. Monday, they discovered that the toddlers were unconscious and immediately placed a 911 call for help.
“When we responded to the scene, the parents were doing everything they could to sustain life,” Carrollton Fire Chief Jimmy Bearden said. “We administered CPR and transported them to the hospital but there just wasn’t anything anyone could do.”
Upon arrival at the hospital, the twins — Asa and Elijah — were pronounced dead. According to the police investigation, the boys suffocated due to extreme heat exposure caused by a malfunction within the heating system.
The Kirbys’ home, which was less than 10 years old, had two separate heating and air-conditioning units, one on the lower level and another on the upper level where the boys slept.
“When the parents went to wake them up, they realized that the top floor was extremely hot,” Carrollton police Investigator James Perry said. “We believe there was a problem with the unit which was a standard residential system.”
The cause of the problem, however, was still unknown Monday afternoon.
“It could have been weather-related or a malfunction in the system,” Perry said. “We have ruled out any criminal activity or negligence so the investigation is now out of our hands but we will still have an interest in the case because this is the first time we’ve seen anything like this.”
Police recommended that an electrical engineer and heating specialist look at the unit to identify the cause of the malfunction.
The Kirbys had apparently had trouble with the system in the spring, but had a technician fix the problem.
“If there was an actual malfunction with the system, we’ve all learned something new,” Perry said. “Because no one ever thought something like this could happen.”
ping
/johnny
“The Kirbys had apparently had trouble with the system in the spring, but had a technician fix the problem.”
That business liability insurance is sure to come in handy now.
HVAC contractors and equipment are strictly regulated in Ga. I expect the State Fire Marshal’s office (ultimate AHJ in Ga for building codes) will be on this very soon.
RIP and prayers for the family.
I had an OEM digital thermostat get stuck on heat a few years ago, thankfully my furnace couldn't raise the temperature much above 90°, it was running continuously but it was also cold outside.
Replacing the thermostat fixed the issue. I called my HVAC people and they said that was the first time they heard of that happening with a solid-state thermostat.
Unimaginable and unspeakable tragedy is right. This should hit home with all parents.
This doesn’t make sense.
You never know when your life, or the life of someone you love, might end. Who could foresee such a tragedy? The little ones are with their Lord now, and at peace, but for the poor parents I offer up prayers.
I know of a set of twin girls who died in california several years ago from the same problem.
Wow - I’m very sorry. It just seems so odd that a house furnace could heat up that much. I could understand CO, but heat just seems improbable.
Best to have your young kids on the same floor with you, imo.
I’m surprised, too. I would’ve never thought a home heating system could result in such a tragedy. How horrible.
Unspeakably tragic is right. Who would think that a home heating system could cause this? An investigation should of course find out what most likely happened. We’ll see, I guess.
My God, how hot could it have gotten? This seems crazy.
I could see it happening but did the children not wake up and cry due to the discomfort? If they cried, why didn’t the parents respond? My first thought was CO poisoning, as well. Strange case.
You will probably take a few hits for that, but I completely agree with you.
OMG. Those poor babies, their poor parents! We have 2 yo twins. I can’t imagine their parents’ agony. Prayers for them.
I once ran a subsidiary of Don Simon Homes. We had a thermostat stick in the on position and the temp in the home approached 180 degrees. We had to replace all of the doors (warping) and the plastic windows (the plastic sagged as it got hot.)
It can happen.
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