Fifty-three campers from Camp Oorah in Stamford were taken to four hospitals in Schoharie, Otsego, and Delaware County Thursday after being struck down by CO2 in an incident that could have left hundreds dead.
The call from Delaware County 911 came into Schoharie County at 8:12am Thursday, Office of Emergency Services Director Mike Hartzel told supervisors just 24 hours later.
“It had a happier ending than it could have,” said Board of Supervisors chair Bill Federice.
911 first reported six campers going in and out of consciousness and fainting, Mr. Hartwell said, and his office immediately dispatched two ambulances and a paramedic to the Town of Jefferson scene—the former Deer Run, and before that, Scotch Valley Ski Resort.
As the number of sick and disoriented campers grew, 14 ambulances and two paramedics, along with Sheriff’s deputies and State Troopers were called to help with 12 campers taken to Bassett, Cooperstown; 15 to Fox, Oneonta; 13 to Cobleskill Regional Hospital, and 13 to the Margaretville Hospital.
Once at the scene, Sheriff Ron Stevens said, rescue workers detected high levels of carbon monoxide from vents from two propane-powered on-demand hot water heaters at the facility; the vents had somehow become dislodged, he said.
According to Sheriff Stevens, Oorah called in maintenance and furnace staff who were unaware the hot waters were propane.
“They were under the impression there were electric,” he said, and so had no CO2 monitors.
Sheriff Stevens said it’s likely morning showers kicked on the hot water heaters, which were located in the attic of the Oorah Boys Zone facility.
“If for some reason this had happened in the night, it would have been devastating,” he said.
As it was, when the incident was reported as “mass casualty,” his office and volunteers thoughts immediately went to deaths, he said.
Oorah makes no mention of the incident on its website.
Last August the Health Department shut down a sister camp for girls in Gilboa after an electrical fire and imposed fines over charges that the camp wasn’t following the state’s mandated COVID measures.
Responding to the call were: the Jefferson Fire Department, Stamford Fire Department, State Police, Schoharie County Sheriff’s Office, Office of Emergency Services, and Department of Health; Schoharie and Delaware County codes officers, and American Medical Response.
Also: Ashland Rescue Squad, Bloomville Rescue Squad, Cobleskill Rescue Squad, Delhi Rescue Squad, Grand Gorge Rescue Squad, Greene County paramedic and Hobart Rescue Squad.
Also: Jefferson Rescue Squad, Roxbury Rescue Squad, Schoharie County EMS, Schoharie County paramedic, Scho-Wright Ambulance, Summit Rescue Squad, and on standby, Central Bridge Rescue Squad and Richmondville Volunteer Emergency Squad.