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Steubenville Man Averts Tragedy

Calvin Wicker of Steubenville sat at his dining room table and talked about surviving a carbon monoxide leak in his basement. Wicker, a retired steelworker, urges everyone to invest in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Photo by Dave Gossett

Calvin Wicker’s friends had been urging the Logan Street resident to get a carbon monoxide monitor for several years.

But he always put it off, until he heard the news of the carbon monoxide deaths of James and Carolyn Swearingen in their Lincoln Avenue home earlier this month.

The Jefferson County Coroner’s office ruled the Swearingens’ deaths a result of carbon monoxide poisoning.

“I went out to Lowe’s and bought a carbon monoxide detector I put on the wall by the basement steps and a combination carbon monoxide and smoke detector upstairs. One day after I installed the monitor it went off, so I called the city fire department and they came right over,” said Wicker.

“We walked into the house with our detectors and they immediately started going off. I told Mr. Wicker he was the luckiest man alive because the carbon monoxide was slowly building up in his basement and poisoning him,” said fire department Capt. Chris Blackburn.

“He was lucky he had the peace of mind to go buy a monitor and to put one up by his kitchen. And when it went off he called us immediately. A little paranoia saved his life. Unfortunately sometimes it takes a tragedy to prevent a tragedy. If he didn’t install that monitor and hadn’t reacted properly when it went off he would have probably died,” Blackburn added.

He said when firefighters went into the basement to check out his hot water heater and boiler, they found the exhaust pipe from the hot water heater was rusted away and wasn’t connected to the chimney.

“It was just a matter of time,” Blackburn said. “I was on the investigation team at the Swearingen home and it was sad because I played softball with Chico. They probably both thought they had the flu because carbon monoxide poisoning has similar symptoms.”

Wicker said he had been having frequent headaches in recent weeks and had gone to the Trinity Medical Center West emergency room to complain about his migraine headaches.

“This was my mom’s house from the early 1960s, and now it is mine. I go down in the basement several times a day to bounce on a trampoline for exercise and I go to the sauna at the Millsop Community Center in Weirton. That may have helped me with oxygen. And someone was watching over me. I believe I am here for a reason,” Wicker continued.

Fire Chief Carlo Capaldi recommended all residents should get a carbon monoxide detector and a smoke detector.

“If the detector goes off, call the fire department and leave the house. Don’t open windows or doors because that will alter the carbon monoxide readings. If there is a problem we will ventilate the house after we determine the problem. If you have an attached garage or a garage under one of the rooms put in a detector in case you leave your vehicle running,” advised Capaldi.

“Carbon monoxide is dangerous because you can’t see it or smell it. And it can be fatal,” remarked Capaldi.

Wicker said, “I believe an Earth angel was watching over me and that is why I am still alive today.”

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