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August 21,
2009
Goffstown teen
sickened by CO at rink
Youth Hockey Players Fall Ill After Games At Tri-Town Ice Arena
HOOKSETT - Authorities discovered elevated levels of carbon monoxide inside a popular ice arena in Hooksett, which has temporarily closed after several hockey players reported feeling sick last week.
Fire officials said the Tri-Town Ice Arena shut its doors until the arena pinpoints and fixes the cause. Some parents said it's time for the state to step in.
Parents said a few other states monitor air quality at indoor rinks, and they want legislation passed in New Hampshire that will do the same.
Gage Dalaker, 15, was playing for Goffstown High School when he fell ill.
"I got a headache, and on the ice, it was just getting hard to breathe. It wasn't really comfortable on the ice," Dalaker said. "I got really sick that night. I was up until 2 o'clock in the morning with a stomach ache and everything."
According to the Hooksett Fire Department, its crews found elevated levels of carbon monoxide inside Tri-Town Ice Arena and cleared the building until a cause and a solution could be identified. While the arena would not comment, the fire department said Tri-Town is working with an engineering firm to fix the problem.
Though rare, carbon monoxide levels can rise at indoor rinks when fumes from machines -- like certain ice resurfacers -- build up without being ventilated, according to the Northern New England Poison Center.
Hockey players with the Manchester Flames said they have encountered air quality concerns at indoor rinks in their travels.
Gage's father, Michael, said he wants New Hampshire to regulate air quality at indoor rinks, pointing to regulations enacted in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
"Our season's long. We got from August to April, and we spend a lot of time in rinks," Michael Dalaker said. "The kids love the sport. They shouldn't be poisoned doing something that they love."
The Tri-Town Ice Arena posted a note on its Web site saying it hopes to re-open Wednesday. First, the fire department said it will confirm there's a plan in place to reduce carbon monoxide levels and prevent any problems in the future.
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