Report: Blocked intake may have led to Marysville hotel CO emergency

Above: Watch a report from this past week on the source of the carbon monoxide leak a the Hampton Inn pool.

MARYSVILLE, Ohio (WCMH/AP) — Authorities said a blocked fresh-air intake at a hotel pool equipment room may have been to blame for a carbon monoxide buildup that sent more than a dozen people to hospitals more than a week ago.

According to the Associated Press, an Ohio state fire marshal’s office report cited a plastic bag found over the intake at the Hampton Inn on Square Drive in Marysville during an inspection two days after the Jan. 29 emergency. That same day, Jan. 31, Marysville Fire Chief Jay Riley confirmed to NBC4 the pool's heater was the cause of the leak.

Inspector Bradley Merillat also noted that a carbon monoxide detector wasn’t functioning.

Emergency personnel responded to the hotel at approximately 5:26 p.m. for a call of an unconscious 2-year-old girl. The Union County Sheriff's Office then received calls about other people falling unconscious in and around the pool area. In total, 16 people, including six children, were treated for carbon monoxide poisoning, with 14 being taken to area hospitals.

Hotel officials have said they are cooperating with the investigation.