As officials continue to investigate the death of Teen Miller Gardner, the son of former New York Yankees player Brett Gardner, experts have spoken about the potential dangers associated with carbon monoxide.
The cause of Miller Gardner's death remains unconfirmed, but Randall Zniga, general director of the Costa Rica Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ), told reporters at a press conference Monday that high levels of carbon monoxide contamination were discovered in the Gardners' hotel room, potentially causing the death of a teenager.
“It leads us to a line of investigation where this person seems to have died from inhaling these very dangerous gases,” Zuniga said.
Zúñiga said investigators working on a team with a special, dangerous atmosphere detected the “large carbon monoxide emissions” that Gardner was staying in a room at Costa Rica's Arena Del Mar Beachfront & Rainforest Resort.
Hotel officials have denied the claims of carbon monoxide.
Ex-sans are warnings about the death of a former yankee son in Costa Rica
“The hotel room level was not present and not fatal. This initial report was erroneous. As mentioned earlier, we are waiting for the definitive results to confirm the cause of this unfortunate death,” a hotel spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
The spokesman also said the rooms were “closed due to a wealth of precautions.”
Miller Gardner, 14, is being photographed with Brett Gardner, a former New York Yankee father. Miller Gardner passed away last month in Costa Rica. His death is currently under investigation. (Commentary by the New York Yankees)
Dr. Nicole Saphier, a contributor to Fox News Medical, said there was no need to endure the tragedy of losing a child.
Regarding carbon monoxide, she said gas is a “quiet and deadly threat.”
“We often focus on smoke alarms, but carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless, allowing people to overcome before they even understand what's going on,” Saffier told Fox News Digital.
Saphier said all households need multiple functional carbon monoxide detectors, especially near the bedroom.
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“When we travel, it's worth considering bringing a portable carbon monoxide monitor for protection, whether you're staying in a hotel, an Airbnb or even an RV,” she suggested.
Miller Gardner, the son of former New York Yankee Brett Gardner, has experts speaking out about carbon monoxide after his teenager died while on a Costa Rica holiday. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
“Symptoms can occur rapidly within minutes or hours and can include headache, nausea, fatigue, dizziness and vomiting,” said Dr. Marc Siegel, professor of clinical medicine at Nyu Langone Health and a senior medical analyst at Fox News.
If symptoms arise from carbon monoxide poisoning, the Environmental Protection Agency recommends opening doors and windows, turning off the combustion equipment and leaving the building.
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Siegel said rapid treatment with oxygen can reverse carbon monoxide poisoning.
A new report released by CPSC shows that deaths from fire-related carbon monoxide poisoning have increased between 2009 and 2019. (istock)
“It's absolutely shocking to me that when they were able to test carbon monoxide, it took me so long to be revealed as a possible cause of death. [Miller Gardener’s] Blood within hours during the autopsy a few weeks ago,” Siegel told Fox News Digital.
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Between 2009 and 2019, a report released by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in March 2023 found that deaths from firing-related carbon carbon monoxide poisoning increased.
Fox News Digital has requested OIJ in Costa Rica for additional comment.
