Carbon monoxide poisoning kills two campers

Clements - Carbon monoxide appears to have been the only culprit for the loss of two campers over the weekend in Clements, California.

Richard Kovacs and his grand daughter Jordan were the victims who fell prey to carbon monoxide poisoning this past weekend. Richard was 56 and Jordan was 14. The two were camping in the front portion of a converted horse trailer at the the Clements Stampede Rodeo which is a local event sponsored by the California Gymkhana Association. The accident seems to have occurred from the use of a charcoal barbeque which had been used earlier in the rear section of the trailer the two were using as their base at the rodeo event as reported at KCRA While the MyMotherLode reporting lists Jordan as a female, the Modesto Bee incorrectly notes Jordan as a male. In contact with the San Joaquin Sheriff's office, and being aware of the family, Jordan was in fact Richards grand daughter. California law now requires all dwelling units to have functioning carbon monoxide alarms in place. SB183 was approved overwhelmingly by the California Legislature and is now law. The public however, has been slow to accept the law as being necessary. Unfortunately, in this case a simple $15 unit would have saved both Richard and Jordan's lives and would have allowed them the chance to provide witness to the efficacy of carbon monoxide alarms, even in trailers. This reporter has been in the energy efficiency trade for nearly twenty years and in the entire time it has always been the focus to first provide a safe environment for clients. Combustion appliance testing is the first test when walking into a home and the last test before walking out. In between those two tests, the installation of carbon monoxide alarms has always been required.