Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Claims Life of Flagstaff Girl

Glen Canyon News Release

Page, Ariz. – Carbon monoxide claimed the life of a 7- year old girl Saturday morning in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

Megan Evans and her friend, Kayleen Tubbs, also 7- years old, were swimming near two 30- foot cabin cruiser boats at their campsite on the shoreline of Lake Powell in Padre Bay. Both boats’ engines were running with the propellers disengaged to recharge their batteries. Kayleen’s mom was showering using hot water from the boat motor when she noticed Kayleen unconscious in the water and sinking. She immediately jumped into the water to rescue Kayleen.

Kayleen quickly regained consciousness once she was pulled from the water. As the group was attending to Kayleen, they realized Megan was missing. A search was organized to look for Megan. They found her unconscious at the bottom of approximately 5- 10 feet of water.

The group contacted the National Park Service. Park rangers and a medivac helicopter from Classic Helicopters in Page, Arizona, were dispatched to the scene. Paramedics from Classic Helicopters were the first on scene and began CPR on Megan. A second
medivac helicopter arrived to assist in the response. Both girls were flown to the Page Hospital.

Megan succumbed to drowning, caused by carbon monoxide poisoning. Intense oxygen treatments at the Page Hospital were successful in treating Kayleen, who was later released and will make a full recovery. Both girls were from Flagstaff, Arizona.

Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas that is produced by all motors.
Dangerous levels of carbon monoxide can become trapped near the swim platform of some boats, or anywhere near the engine’s exhaust. At the time of the accident, wind conditions were extremely calm, which prevented the carbon monoxide from dispersing. People should never swim anywhere near a boat’s exhaust.

This is the first fatality related to carbon monoxide at Glen Canyon National Recreation
Area since 2002.

www.nps.gov/glca