Leaked gas from drinks fountain pipe caused McDonald's toxic fumes horror that killed Anne Felton
Leaked gas from drinks fountain pipe caused McDonald's toxic fumes horror that killed woman
- Anne Felton among 10 people who fell ill from incident
- Happened at McDonald's in Pooler, Georgia, last week
- It was caused after leaky line caused gas to build up
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Leaked carbon dioxide piped through to a drinks fountain was behind the fumes breathed in by a woman in McDonald's who later died, police said.
Anne Felton, 80, of Ponte Vedra, Florida, was among 10 people who fell ill from the incident at the restaurant in Pooler, Georgia, last week.
She later died after being found unconscious in a bathroom with another woman - while other people in the restaurant struggled to breathe.
Horror: Employees were evacuated from the McDonald's restaurant in Pooler, Georgia, while it was decontaminated last week of toxic fumes
A leaky gas line between the walls caused the gas - used to pump carbonation into sodas - to build up a week ago, investigators said.
‘It caused what is normally a harmless gas to be pumped into the wall cavity and leak into the women's restroom,' Pooler Police Chief Mark Revenew said. ‘At a high level of concentration, it displaces oxygen.’
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ShareFirefighters were called on September 7 to the restaurant in Pooler and two women were found unconscious in a bathroom.
They were later admitted to hospital, where eight others from the restaurant were treated and released. Ms Felton died the next day.
Tragic: Anne Felton, 80, of Ponte Vedra, Florida, was among 10 people who fell ill after the incident at the restaurant when they breathed in the fumes
Three fire fighters were among those needing hospital treatment after the incident. Five customers and one employee also fell sick.
'It caused what is normally a harmless gas to be pumped into the wall cavity and leak into the women's restroom'
Mark Revenew
Pooler Police Chief
Investigators initially suspected people fell ill to noxious fumes from cleaning chemicals.
An autopsy found no trace of chemicals in Ms Felton - but it indicated she succumbed to suffocation, Chief Revenew said.
She was eating a McDonald's meal with her husband at the time of the tragedy.
Rescuers: Three firemen were among those needing hospital treatment and the U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration is investigating
The restaurant's franchisees, John and Monique Palmaccio, said they are ‘committed to running safe, welcoming restaurants’.
'We worked closely with the authorities to determine the cause of this incident and we've taken action to correct the situation'
John and Monique Palmaccio, restaurant franchisees
‘We worked closely with the authorities to determine the cause of this incident and we've taken action to correct the situation,’ they said in a statement.
The police chief said the owners had replaced the soda fountain's gas lines and valves and were allowed to reopen the restaurant.
‘At this point we don't anticipate criminal charges,’ Chief Revenew added. ‘It just appears to be a mistake.’
The U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration is also investigating, looking into possible workplace safety violations.
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