# Faulty air conditioner leaking toxic coolant may have killed three Americans in their villas at luxury Bahamas resort Sandals



## DrQ (May 8, 2022)

*Faulty air conditioner leaking toxic coolant may have killed three Americans in their villas at luxury Bahamas resort Sandals, guest says: Sick wife who survived ordeal lands in Florida in air ambulance*

*A guest at the Bahamas Sandals where three Americans were discovered dead Friday says a faulty air conditioner leaking toxic coolant may have been to blame *
* 'Three of our neighbors in the building right next to us died and a fourth was airlifted in critical condition early yesterday,' Chris Coucheron-Aamot said   *
*Two men and a woman died in the luxury resort in Exuma, the Bahamas on Friday*
*Police investigation revealed they were suffering from convulsions before death *
*A fourth American, a woman, was airlifted to hospital in the capital city Nassau*
*One of the dead has been identified as Vincent Chiarella of Birmingham, Alabama, whose wife Donnis - both in their mid 60s - was hospitalized*
*She, along with the two unidentified victims, reported feeling ill the night before the bodies were discovered *









						American killed by Sandals 'air-con leak' was celebrating anniversary
					

A 65 year-old Florida man killed by a suspected air conditioning leak at a luxury Sandals resort was there to celebrate his wedding anniversary with his wife.




					www.dailymail.co.uk
				



If the leaking chlorofluorocarbon based refrigerant is exposed to high temperature, it can turn into phosgene gas.

I think that may be a zebra (when you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras), I'm thinking carbon monoxide from a faulty water heater.


----------



## Brett (May 8, 2022)

DrQ said:


> *Faulty air conditioner leaking toxic coolant may have killed three Americans in their villas at luxury Bahamas resort Sandals, guest says: Sick wife who survived ordeal lands in Florida in air ambulance*
> 
> *A guest at the Bahamas Sandals where three Americans were discovered dead Friday says a faulty air conditioner leaking toxic coolant may have been to blame *
> * 'Three of our neighbors in the building right next to us died and a fourth was airlifted in critical condition early yesterday,' Chris Coucheron-Aamot said   *
> ...



yes, more likely carbon monoxide than freon


----------



## Mongoose (May 8, 2022)

Brett said:


> yes, more likely carbon monoxide than freon


Not many sources of CO, this time of year in the Bahamas. Probably only Hot Water Heaters.


----------



## Ralph Sir Edward (May 8, 2022)

Classic Freon (R-12) is not used any more. The replacement refrigerants are not as "nice" as R-12, some are flammable, some are toxic.


----------



## Mongoose (May 8, 2022)

Ralph Sir Edward said:


> Classic Freon (R-12) is not used any more. The replacement refrigerants are not as "nice" as R-12, some are flammable, some are toxic.


It wI’ll be interesting to see where this story goes.


----------



## T-Dot-Traveller (May 8, 2022)

Here is a 2018 story - suspected water heater : 
Water heater caused gas leak - that killed Iowa family in Mexico

********
This can happen anywhere ; not just on vacation.
It is why we have carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors .


----------



## DrQ (May 8, 2022)

Ralph Sir Edward said:


> Classic Freon (R-12) is not used any more. The replacement refrigerants are not as "nice" as R-12, some are flammable, some are toxic.


PTACs or PTHPs either use R-22 or R-410a. Large water chilled systems usually (or used to) use ammonia as it is simple and has been used in commercial settings for decades.


----------



## T-Dot-Traveller (May 8, 2022)

DrQ said:


> .....Large water chilled systems usually (or used to) use ammonia as it is simple and has been used in commercial settings for decades.


Hockey Rink Ice pads are often ammonia chilled.


----------



## Ralph Sir Edward (May 8, 2022)

Yes the very first refrigeration units used ammonia. Ammonia is toxic if it leaks. That was why R-12 was considered a "wonder" material when it came out. Non-toxic, non flammable, and just the  right temperature zone for refrigeration. . . .


----------



## DrQ (May 8, 2022)

Ralph Sir Edward said:


> Yes the very first refrigeration units used ammonia. Ammonia is toxic if it leaks. That was why R-12 was considered a "wonder" material when it came out. Non-toxic, non flammable, and just the  right temperature zone for refrigeration. . . .


With a chilled water system, you pump the water through the building, not the refrigerant.


----------



## AnnaS (May 9, 2022)

Saw this on the news last night.  A doctor interviewed mentioned another possibility.  Poisoning by eating fish contaminated with toxins.

Curious what the outcome of the autopsy is and what the fourth person in the hospital will reveal.


----------



## Mongoose (May 23, 2022)

Bahamas Sandals deaths: Carbon monoxide poisoning killed 3 Americans at resort, report says | Fox News


----------



## DrQ (May 23, 2022)

Kinda what I suspected:
*Carbon monoxide 'killed three Americans at Sandals resort in the Bahamas' after rumors of 'faulty air conditioning' at their villas - though families are still waiting for private US autopsy*

*Michael Phillips, 68, and Robbie Phillips, 65, of Tennessee, and Vincent Chiarella, 64, of Florida, were all found dead May 6 inside neighboring villas  *
*Vincent's 65-year-old wife, Donnis, was last said to be in good condition and recovering nicely at a hospital in Miami *
*A pathologist is releasing a report today saying that carbon monoxide poisoning was determined to be the cause of death*
*Several recent reviewers reported seeing bugs in rooms and one speculated that issues with the air conditioning may have caused Freon poisoning *









						Carbon monoxide killed three Americans at Sandals, claims new report
					

Michael Phillips, 68, and Robbie Phillips, 65, of Tennessee, and Vincent Chiarella, 64, of Florida, were all found dead on May 6 inside neighboring villas at the resort on Great Exuma Island.




					www.dailymail.co.uk


----------



## DrQ (May 26, 2022)

*Bahamian Sandals resort where three Americans died of carbon monoxide poisoning FINALLY installs detectors three weeks after they died in rooms*

*Emerald Bay Sandals finally brought in the vital equipment following the deaths*
*The company also said it was bringing in environmental safety experts for review*
*Michael and Robbie Phillips and Vincent Chiarella passed away there on May 6*









						Sandals installs carbon monoxide detectors after  three deaths
					

Emerald Bay Sandals finally brought in the vital equipment following the deaths of Michael and Robbie Phillips and Vincent Chiarella on May 6.




					www.dailymail.co.uk


----------

