Lafayette Hill, Pa. Couple Dies In Maine After Losing Power From Irene
LAFAYETTE HILL, Pa. (CBS) - A local couple vacationing in Maine have become that state's first victims of Hurricane Irene.
Lewis Somers III, 85, and his wife, Elizabeth, 84, of Lafayette Hill, were found dead inside their summer home in Raymond, Maine on Tuesday.
It appears the two were overcome by carbon monoxide from a generator running in the basement of the home.
"It had been in there, by my understanding, for many, many years and was vented to the outside of the house through the basement wall," Cumberland County (Me.) detective sergeant Jim Estabrook told KYW Newsradio today. "Regardless of that, all the experts in the field of alternative power clearly recommend not running generators in confined spaces."
Estabrook says the carbon monoxide reading inside the home was "off the charts."
Maine's Office of Building and Regulations was examining the generator and exhaust system to see if there was a leak. The couple had vacationed in Raymond, Me. for more than 30 years.
Reported by Kim Glovas, KYW Newsradio 1060
