SAFETY TIPS
A First Hand Experience with the Dangers of Carbon Monoxide by Monika Gilliam make sure he’s okay. Saturday evening around 6pm Jacob and Max decided to play some video games with a few friends inside of our air conditioned trailer. By 9pm we get ready for bed.
It was the start to a normal race weekend for us, the weekend of September 19th. The first race of the season is always exciting! We look forward to jumping back on our bikes and seeing all of our friends at the track after the long summer break. Jacob, Max and I arrived at the track Saturday morning, we set up camp as usual- generator in the back of our pickup truck, chairs under our EZ UP. After we set up camp we go and socialize with our friends and family while watching the Saturday afternoon races. With the weather being so hot we usually leave max in the air conditioning and are sure to check on him every hour to
5am Sunday morning I woke up feeling a little off. I decided to step outside, and I immediately fell to the ground. My head was loopy (almost similar to a hangover). I felt weak, but it never occurred to me that something was wrong. When I laid back down in bed, Jake asked if I was okay- being the supportive husband he is, he just thought I was hung over... but I knew that just wasn’t it. We fell back asleep around 6am, his hand holding mine… and that was the last time I spoke to him that morning. Around 8:30-9 am (guessing times here), I heard obnoxiously loud banging on the trailer door. It woke me up, it was my dad- he opened the door. I recall him saying- “Monika wake up, you’re late for practice”. I guess I answered him saying I would be up soon. He knocked again a second time, but I do not recall. When I did finally awake Jake was still holding my hand, clinching it the same as when we went back to sleep FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS
that morning. Turning my body towards him, I looked at his face and I realized his eyes were wide open- they were blood shot, he wasn’t blinking – he was unresponsive. Scared, I propped open the trailer door and I noticed a puddle of sweat around his whole body. His mouth was open, he was breathing but he wouldn’t speak, unconscious… so, I shook him, in hopes of him waking up. I started to tremble and shake, the tears started rolling down my face, I didn’t know what to do. Max sat still in one place, not even a bark. I was at our campsite, alone. I thought if I started, the AC It would cool Jacob down, would stop the sweating and I could grab help. It took all the strength I had to climb into the bed of the pickup truck and I could barely lift an empty gas can. As people returned from practice my friend, Frank asked if I was okay. He clearly noticed I wasn’t- he called Donnie and Randy. With EMT not being able to wake Jake up they had no other option than to rush him to the nearest hospital in Lakeland where he was admitted into the ICU for a few days. Our dog, Max passed away Monday morning at 3 years old.
