Woman thanks those who saved her from potentially deadly carbon monoxide scare

A woman in Monument is thanking the people who helped save her life despite her resistance.

In August, Lynn McNelly was working from home, when her carbon monoxide alarms went off. She received a call from ADT security company, alerting her to leave the house. McNelly didn’t want to leave.

“I pushed back and told them that it would be fine,” she said. “I had all of my doors and windows open, and that it would be alright and I refused to evacuate.”

The ADT emergency dispatcher, Norma Morin, called a total of three times, insisting she leave the house. On the third call, she told McNelly the fire department was on its way. McNelly agreed to leave the house if the call was canceled. She left, but firefighters still arrived. They told her if she had stayed inside the house for 30 more minutes, she would have died.

“I’m so glad that Norma was so persistent in saving my life,” she said.

On Thursday, there was a special ceremony at McNelly’s house to thank everyone involved in rescuing her that August day. McNelly got to meet Morin. She flew in from Irving, Texas for the ceremony. The two hugged and kissed when they met.

“Thank you,” McNelly said.

“Oh you are so welcome,” Morin said.

ADT gave first responders a recognition for their service. And the Tri-Lakes Monument Fire Protection Service, which responded to the call, received a $5,000 check.

Carbon monoxide is odorless and invisible. It is also deadly.

“When you inhale it, it binds to the blood cells that actually transport the oxygen to the body,” Tri-Lakes Monument Fire Protection Service Fire Chief Chris Truty said. “So what it actually does, is it begins suffocating the body.”

He said people should have detectors in every floor of their house. Make sure they are working, and that they have batteries.