Girl drowns after being overcome by boat exhaust

I had a heard a story a few years ago about a "rash" of similar incidents with people of all ages where people hung out in the water near docked boats. I also was shocked since I never knew could happen. I'm not a boater, so I don't know if this is common knowledge or not, but if it isn't...it should be. It needs to be as reinforced as not drinking while boating. It's a horrible and needless way for people to die.

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I suppose I would be insensitive to ask: What the *bleep* was that woman thinking, leaving two kids in the water without supervision for such a long time??? Carbon Monoxide isn't an instant kill - it takes a long time, and has symptoms. Yes, it's colorless and odorless, but an active observer would notice sleepiness or sluggishness in the victims.

I feel sorry for the families, but this is a death that could have been avoided with a little bit of vigilance.

There's a reason they say "never swim alone".

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The children involved in this tragedy were not left unsupervised for an instant. It is too bad that the media reporting is so misleading. Kayleen's family's boat and Megan's family's boat were side-by-side on the shoreline (so close that their dads were visiting, each standing in his own boat just a couple of minutes before the incident occurred) along with at least 6 other boats each with families present...all friends. All of the parents were present. Kayleen's mom was on the deck watching the girls swim as she used a shower located on the deck to rinse her hair. As the girls were swimming from the front of the boat along the side, she told them not to swim at the back of the boat. Kayleen went to the ladder at the back of the boat and started up the ladder into the boat. She was part way up the ladder when her mother saw her fall backward into the water. She was unconscious when she hit the water. Her mother grabbed her immediately and couldn't get a grip on her. She screamed for help, and her husband who was right there on the boat grabbed Kayleen. At the same time, Megan (who was a very good swimmer) was swimming toward her parents' boat, and her dad jumped in the water to help Kayleen's dad get Kayleen into the boat. By then, a number of people were there assisting in the rescue. Kayleen had a large bump on her head, and it was believed that she had been knocked unconscious when she fell. After she was on the boat, they feared that she was dead from hitting her head. Everyone, understandably, was attending to Kayleen and her family. Then they discovered that Megan wasn't on the boat, and immediately started searching for her. You are very wrong in your statement that carbon monoxide isn't an instant kill. Kayleen's exposure was a matter of seconds. Megan was found about 10 feet behind Kayleen's family's boat and toward her parents' boat. In addition to Kayleen and Megan, Kayleen's parents and her sister were also treated for carbon monoxide poisoning. The two families want to get the word out, to everyone possible, of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning outside, and how very quickly it can kill. It only takes seconds. The danger seems to be especially prevalent on Lake Powell and appears to be related to the temperature, the lack of wind, and the structure of the canyon. The carbon monoxide gathers under the swim deck on a boat and doesn't dissipate. There is a fallacy that it is a problem that only occurs with houseboats, but the boats involved in this tragedy were cabin cruisers. I hope this helps you understand that these are two wonderful, caring families who have suffered a tragedy most of us cannot imagine. They are extremely close friends and are devastated. I hope the information will also prevent this tragedy from happening to other families.

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The "facts" in my previous comment were a combination of talking to people involved, and media reports. After receiving the complete story from someone who was there, and discovering that the media reports contained numuerous errors, I would like people to know the truth about what happened.
A large group of friends with approximately eight boats were camped together in a cove on Lake Powell. Early the morning of 7-7-07, many of the adults were on the beach in the area of the boats, and sitting in front of and on many of the boats.
The Evans family boat and the Tubbs family boat were right next to each other. Megan Evans had just finished swimming with her brother when Kayleen Tubbs went to play with her at the front of the Tubbs boat.
The refrigerator had quit running in the Tubbs boat. Megan's dad and Kayleen's dad were discussing running the engines to charge the batteries and both turned on their engines.
Kayleen's mom and sister jumped in the water to wash their hair. They both climbed back up the ladder , put shampoo in their hair and jumped back in the water to rinse their hair.
As Kayleen's mom was putting conditioner on her hair, Kayleen and Megan swam to the back of the boat--Kayleen first, and then Megan. Kayleen's mom told them to go play somewhere else. Kayleen started to climb up the ladder on the Tubbs boat, while Megan and Kayleen's mom and sister were still in the water. Kayleen fell back into the water on her back. Her arms and legs were jerking almost like she was trying to swim on her back, but them she started going under the water and with her eyes wide open. Her sister and mother grabbed for her, and her mother yelled for her dad who was on the boat. He shut the engines down (which had been running approximately 10 minutes) on his way by, grabbed Kayleen out of the water and into his arms. She was unconscious.
Megan was heading toward the Evans family boat where her mom, brother and sister were by the seating area on the back of their boat.

People on the beach and from other boats came to help with Kayleen, including a nurse. Kayleen's eyes were open and fixed and she did not appear to be breathing. Her dad squeezed water out of her and she started breathing, coughing and closed her eyes.

Kayleen's mother discovered a mark on Kayleen's head where it had hit the swim platform, and they assumed she had knocked herself out on the platform.
Megan's parents were among those helping with Kayleen.

While the nurse was talking to Kayleen's mom about taking Kayleen to the hospital, Megan's mom discovered that Megan was not on their boat. Everyone immediately started searching for Megan.

Several adult men and teenage boys were in the water with goggles looking for Megan. After a few minutes Megan's teenage cousin came up and said he thought he felt her, but couldn't pull her up.
Kayleen's dad went down and pulled her up onto the Tubbs boat platform and started doing CPR.

Calls for help were answered by the Park Service and two helicopters responded.

They worked to revive Megan and took Kayleen out of the boat to treat her. It was not until this time that carbon monoxide poisoning was involved.
Both Kayleen and Megan were life flighted to Page. Kayleen was revived but, sadly, Megan didn't make it.
Kayleen's mom and sister were also treated at the scene for carbon monoxide poisoning.

Both families want people to know that carbon monoxide poisoning can happen very quickly, and it is not just a houseboat problem. These boats were cabin cruisers.

It is believed that the temperature, lack of wind, and barometric pressure played a part in what happened. These families had been spending weekends at Lake Powell for many years, and did nothing different on this day than they had been doing for 10-15 years.

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For those who may pass judgement before knowing an entire story, I say, "Be very careful. It could be your child next." I know Megan's parents, and there is NO WAY that they were being neglectful in this situation. Jennifer, I got your letter today, and I am devastated. I wish I could be there to help you through all of this. Please know that Kirk and I are praying for you and Matt. I will call soon.

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