On Tuesday, two teenagers in Bowie County were found unresponsive inside a home.
After receiving a 911 call, Texas DPS troopers and Bowie County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the home on Twilight Circle in Texarkana. They found that the home did not have electricity and was being heated with a gasoline-powered electric generator. The teenagers’ father was trying to reach them by phone and text and could not get a reply, so called 911 for help.
When Texas DPS troopers arrived at the scene, they found a 16-year-old female unresponsive on the front porch, CPR was begun to try to resuscitate her. She was taken by ambulance to Wadley Hospital and was later transferred to Children’s Hospital in Little Rock. She is expected to recover.
The girl’s 13-year old brother, Micah Franco, was located unresponsive on the living room floor. Attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful. A Bowie County Sheriff’s Office investigator responded to the scene and an autopsy was ordered.
There were no indications of foul play, BCSO says, and carbon monoxide poisoning is suspected as the cause of the tragedy.
The sheriff’s office reminds everyone that gas/diesel powered generators, or any combustion engine, are unsafe for use indoors. Please use caution when using these items to power or heat a residence. Visit the website of G&R Diesel for more facts about diesel.
