Carbon-monoxide poisoning resulting from exposure to ski-boat exhaust--Georgia,June 2002

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless gas produced from the incomplete combustion of carbon-based fuels such as gasoline or wood. In the United States, CO poisoning causes approximately 500 unintentional deaths each year. Although CO poisonings often have been reported to occur in enclosed and semi-enclosed environments, they can also occur in open-air environments. This report describes two related cases of CO poisoning that occurred in children who were participating in recreational activities on a ski boat. Recreational boaters should be aware of the dangers of open-air CO poisoning, and engineering solutions are needed to reduce the amount of CO in boat exhaust.