Latest news with #BajaPeninsula
Travel Weekly
01-07-2025
- Health
- Travel Weekly
U.S. lawmakers push for carbon monoxide detectors in hotels and short-term rentals
Chuck Heathco still recalls the last video his son John sent him back in 2023, showing off a beautiful guestroom at the Rancho Pescadero, a five-star beachfront resort on Mexico's Baja peninsula. Within hours of arriving at the property, however, both John and his girlfriend, Abby Lutz, fell ill, reporting severe headaches and nausea. The young couple died soon after, unaware that they had been slowly poisoned in their room by carbon monoxide. "Johnny's death should never have happened, and no family should have to endure the devastation that we have had to live with," his father said. "While he's no longer with us, and we grieve his passing every day, we want to ensure that what happened to him does not happen to anyone else." That determination led Heathco and his wife, Jill, to launch the John Wesley Heathco Legacy Foundation earlier this year. The nonprofit is dedicated to eliminating carbon monoxide poisonings among travelers through advocacy, public awareness, education and technological innovation. The foundation's launch comes as carbon monoxide poisoning at hotels is back in the media spotlight, following two high-profile incidents this year. In February, three American women reportedly died from carbon monoxide poisoning at a hotel in Belize. In March, Miller Gardner, the teenage son of former New York Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner, died at a luxury Costa Rican resort in what local authorities attributed to carbon monoxide poisoning, although the investigation is ongoing. Those stories are among the many inspiring U.S. lawmakers to push for nationwide safety standards around carbon monoxide. On June 5, Reps. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) and Mike Levin (D-Calif.) reintroduced the Safe Stay Act in Congress. The proposed federal legislation would mandate carbon monoxide detector installation in all U.S. hotels and short-term lodging properties. Currently, this requirement exists in only 14 states. Chuck Heathco "The Safe Stay Act has been brought before Congress twice in the last five years, but both times it was shut down with not a single Republican vote," Heathco said. While those recent incidents happened overseas, U.S. hotels also face carbon monoxide poisoning risks. According to a study in Preventive Medicine Reports, more than 3,400 carbon monoxide incidents occurred at U.S. hotels between 1999 and 2018, amounting to roughly 170 incidents annually. The Jenkins Foundation -- a nonprofit formed in honor of Daryl and Shirley Jenkins, who died of carbon monoxide poisoning at a North Carolina hotel in 2013 -- has documented at least 167 deaths and more than 2,500 injuries from carbon monoxide poisoning in U.S. hotels and resorts since 1967. While battery-operated detectors can cost as little as $20, hardwiring systems throughout existing properties requires more significant investment. "I think that the resistance is all financial," Heathco said. "We don't understand how anyone -- from lawmakers to trade associations representing the hotel industry -- could oppose this legislation." The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), which has more than 32,000 lodging property members within its fold, said it urges hotel owners to go beyond minimum requirements. "While carbon monoxide incidents in hotel settings remain rare, AHLA emphasizes the importance of proactive measures to protect guests and employees," said a spokesperson, who added that the group encourages members to follow best practices, including regular inspection and maintenance of fuel-burning appliances, proper installation of carbon monoxide detectors in applicable areas and ongoing staff training on monitoring and emergency response procedures. Major hospitality companies have also addressed carbon monoxide safety. Hyatt Hotels Corp., whose Unbound Collection brand included the Rancho Pescadero resort when Heathco died, said the property was owned and operated by a third party. "Immediately following the tragedy, we launched a rigorous process to review every Hyatt property's compliance with our safety standard," Hyatt said, adding that it "maintains strict safety standards and requires carbon monoxide detectors in all areas of hotels with gas appliances, which meets or exceeds requirements by regional authorities." Taking precautions Travel professionals are not immune to the risks of carbon monoxide. In 2022, three Americans died from reported carbon monoxide poisoning at the Sandals Emerald Bay in the Bahamas, including two travel advisors, Michael and Robbie Phillips. In the wake of their deaths, Sandals Resorts underwent a comprehensive safety review and has installed carbon monoxide detectors across the group's resort portfolio, the company said. Caitlin Stolzenthaler, owner of Curated by Caitlin, was at the Sandals Emerald Bay when the deaths occurred. "Out of caution, we actually slept with the windows open that final night in an effort to put my mind at ease," she said. "That experience left a lasting impression on me." It also prompted her to buy a portable carbon monoxide detector, and she advises concerned clients to do the same and that they be aware of symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning like headaches, dizziness and nausea, which can be mistaken for other common illnesses. Stolzenthaler said the topic of carbon monoxide doesn't come up often, but one of her clients canceled a trip this year due to concern related to the Costa Rica death. Lee Friedman, founder and CEO of Mango Tree Travel, said he had two families headed to Belize shortly after this year's incidents. They opted to buy portable carbon monoxide detectors that cost less than $20. "I always tell my clients that it's worth it to spend a little extra on things that are causing them stress before a family vacation, since traveling with kids is stressful enough," Lee said. "So if $20 and a little extra room in the suitcase could help them sleep better at night, I was all for it."
Washington Post
30-06-2025
- Climate
- Washington Post
Flossie forms over weekend as active Pacific hurricane season continues
A sixth named storm has formed just six weeks into the eastern Pacific hurricane season. Tropical Storm Flossie materialized over the weekend about 400 miles west of Nicaragua, and could skim along Mexico's west coast before bringing wet weather to the Baja Peninsula late in the week. Tropical storm warnings are in effect in Mexico from Punta San Telmo to Punta Perula, with watches spanning as far north as Cabo Corrientes and south to Zihuatanejo. Flossie had maximum winds of up to 50 mph on Monday morning, and was still about 175 miles offshore, southwest of Zihuatanejo.
