Three people in Houma were rushed to a hospital overnight Saturday after generators near their homes gave them near-lethal carbon monoxide poisoning.
The Bayou Cane Fire Protection District responded to the family's home in the 2900 block of Broadmoor Avenue to reports of a person having difficulty breathing and nearly losing consciousness.
Medics found three family members barely conscious and vomiting, and authorities found two generators running in the garage and on the porch of the home.
Open doors allowed carbon monoxide from the generators to enter the home, leading to high levels of the potentially lethal gas in the family's bedrooms.
Medics transported all three of them to the hospital in "extremely ill" condition.
"This family is lucky to be alive," the fire district said in a news release, adding that it is crucial that people operate generators safely.
Generators should be at least 20 feet away from homes and never in an enclosed space, the fire district said.