“I started feeling it in my chest and lungs, with heavier breathing [and] muscle fatigue,” recalled a Utah Department of Corrections officer
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/Carbon-monoxide-Utah-corrections-agents-050126-tout-91def34f68b7428fa94d848b83fdf3b6.jpg "Two Utah corrections agents are being called heroes after rescuing two men from a home filled with carbon monoxide.")
Credit: KSL News Utah/Youtube
NEED TO KNOW
- Two Utah Department of Corrections parole officers rescued two men, two cats and a dog after finding them in distress from carbon monoxide poisoning at a home in Carbon County
- Despite experiencing symptoms themselves, the officers dragged the men to safety and then saved the animals
- “I started feeling it in my chest and lungs, with heavier breathing [and] muscle fatigue,” recalled one of the officers
Two parole officers in Utah responded to an emergency call while making their rounds — and saved the lives of two unconscious men and three pets.
The Utah Department of Corrections (UDC) wrote in a Facebook post on a Tuesday, April 28, “Today, while conducting routine field visits, two of our [Adult Probation & Parole] agents, Nick Parker and Kelten Larsen, jumped into action after hearing an emergency dispatch call in Carbon County.”
“They arrived first on scene and found two unresponsive men in their 30s, along with two cats and a dog in distress due to carbon monoxide poisoning,” UDC added. “The men credit our agents with saving their lives.”
While recalling the moments leading up to the incident, Parker said that he and Larsen were checking on people from their caseload in the area when they heard a call come over the police radio about a 37-year-old man who was unconscious and breathing strangely, per KSL-TV 5 and ETV News.
“We both assumed it was probably an overdose. I looked at Kelton and said, ‘I think we should go to that,' ” Parker told ETV News.
Parker and Larsen arrived at the home and found two men unconscious in a hallway between a bedroom and a bathroom. They began administering aid, but quickly realized something was not right with the space around them.
“I started feeling it in my chest and lungs, with heavier breathing [and] muscle fatigue,” Larsen told the outlet. “I wasn't able to pull the guy out like I should have been able to.”
“My fingertips and lips went numb,” Parker added. “I felt unbalanced, like my body was moving but my brain was lagging behind.”
“I like to think I'm pretty strong, but I was struggling just holding onto his legs. That's when I knew something wasn't right,” Parker continued.
Credit: Utah Department of Corrections/Facebook
Parker and Larsen refused to abandon their rescue efforts despite their own worsening physical conditions, and they eventually dragged the two men outside with the help of several other emergency responders who had arrived on the scene, per KSL-TV 5 and ETV News.
Parker and Larsen then went back inside the house to ensure there were no other people inside, and rescued two cats and a dog in the process.
“He'd stand up and just stumble sideways,” Larsen said while describing the condition of the dog. “There was saliva and snot coming out. He was in bad shape.”
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The two rescued men were taken to a hospital for treatment, per KSL-TV 5 and ETV News.
Authorities later learned that a generator had been running inside the home, which they believe led to a dangerous carbon monoxide leak that ultimately caused the emergency situation, according to the outlets.
While speaking about the incident to ETV News, Parker said, “Anyone in this profession would have done the same thing,” adding, “It was right place, right time.”
Both officers went on to say that the impact of their actions didn't fully sink in until after the rescue was over.
“It didn't really hit me until I saw a comment from one of the victim's family members,” Parker said. “That's when it clicked, this is someone's son. Someone's family. And we helped save them.”
“I went to a meeting for my kid's soccer team later that day. And it hit me, those are someone's kids too. Someone's brother. We helped them survive,” Larsen added.
Both Parker and Larsen also stressed that they couldn't have done it without the help of the other emergency responders who arrived on scene that day.
“It took all of us. Everyone stepped in right when we needed it,” Larsen said while speaking to ETV News.