7 Children Sickened By Carbon Monoxide At New Jersey Skating Rink

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By Matt Rivers

HAMILTON Twp., N.J. (CBS) --- Seven children were taken to area hospitals and treated for carbon monoxide poisoning in Hamilton Township, New Jersey on Saturday.

Firefighters were called to the Ice Land Skating Center on 6 Tennis Court at about 10:30am, after several children appeared to fall ill.

Larry Plank was in the stands waiting to watch his son's game when he noticed kids coming off the ice sick and complaining about their stomachs. He said one hockey player's mother had to help him walk off the ice.

"He was having a lot of trouble standing, and that was when we realized there was something going on," Plank told Eyewitness News.

In the locker room, Plank's son Aadan and his teammate, Tony, were getting ready for the game.

"We saw someone who was coming out, holding his stomach and groaning," Tony said, describing the scene.

Moments later, fire crews evacuated the building, and seven children were taken to the hospital in ambulances.

Officials say high levels of carbon monoxide leaked into the skating rink, causing the evacuation. The rink was closed for the rest of the day, but its doors remained open to air out the building.

The investigation continues into what caused the leak.