More than a dozen UK airports are now selling mobile carbon monoxide alarms, as ITV News Consumer Editor Chris Choi reports
Hudson Foley, 24, died of carbon monoxide poisoning on holiday two years ago.
On Thursday, his mother marked a breakthrough in her campaign to make travel safer as, for the first time, more than a dozen UK airports will sell mobile carbon monoxide alarms.
But campaigners insist more must still be done to beat this silent killer.
Hudson Foley was travelling in Ecuador when the toxic gas – which cannot be seen or smelled – took his life.
His mother, Cathy, said she only found out that her son had been poisoned after a blood test came back eight weeks later.
She said his death was made more tragic by the fact that it was “completely preventable” had he had an alarm with him.
Following Hudson’s death, Cathy said she thought about “how I could try to protect other families from going through the horrendous time that we will now have to go through for the rest of our lives.”
“Having a travel carbon monoxide alarm when you travel is your way of protecting yourself,” she said.
“Carbon monoxide is a silent killer, and it doesn’t discriminate between age, country or standard of accommodation.
“It’s a very inexpensive piece of equipment that could save your life, and it definitely could’ve saved Hudson’s life.”
Hudson’s family believe a carbon monoxide alarm would have prevented his death and are convinced this small gadget can remove a huge risk for many more holidaymakers.
What are the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning?
Health officials warn the fumes can come from boilers, cookers and portable generators.
According to the NHS, symptoms can include:
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Feeling sick or being sick
- Feeling weak
- Confusion
- Chest and muscle pain
- Shortness of breath
Christi and Bobby Shepherd also died of carbon monoxide poisoning on holiday in Corfu.
An inquest into their deaths recommended that alarms should be sold at UK airports – but it’s taken ten years for that to happen.
Safety groups say carbon monoxide alarms are needed because in many countries there’s no requirement for tourist accommodation to install them.
Stephanie Boyle from Safer Tourism Foundation told ITV News: “Carbon monoxide you cannot see, you cannot smell, and the only way to protect yourself is to have a detector.
“We want people to be aware that regulations around the world are different; there are no international standards. Almost 30,000 people die of carbon monoxide every year around the world.”
She insists more still needs to be done to beat this silent killer.
“Ultimately, it is the traveller’s responsibility as well, and the travel industry, so we all have to work together,” she said.
“We’ve managed to get the Foreign Office to update their travel advice… but they have only updated the advice on certain pages. We want as many people to see it as possible.”
As people head off on holiday full of excitement, it’s not easy to get anyone to consider what could go wrong during their trip.
By getting carbon monoxide alarms into airport shops, campaigners hope to save lives with this small gadget that can get rid of a big risk
For more information on how to stay safe from carbon monoxide poisoning, see the Safer Tourism Foundation.
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