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Unwanted Wedding Guest: Carbon Monoxide

Apr 7, 2008 | Associated Press | Gothamist News

A just-married couple's reception was interrupted by when their reception's catering hall was filled with carbon monoxide. Many guests passed out and/or vomited, including the the groom's mother who collapsed.

Groom George Quenneville told the Daily News, "I came outside for a cigarette. Everybody was fine. All of a sudden my brother-in-law comes out saying, 'Your mother is down.'" EMT workers put an oxygen mask on his bride, Sharon Stack. Guests, who described having a "bad headache" at the hall, were taken to area hospitals and only two guests were in serious condition.

The Fire Department says the carbon monoxide at Dante Caterers in Jackson Heights had reached 500 parts per million--100 ppm is the level when evacuations are required. The catering hall said a boiler malfunctioned, but Quenneville will be asking for a refund.

The groom said his wife thought it was a "catastrophe," but he is looking on the bright side, "We're married. That's all that matters to me. And everyone is going to be OK." Related: Here's the FDNY's information on carbon monoxide--a CO detector should be installed in your apartment; if there isn't, ask your super/landlord.