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U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
MECAPnews
MEDICAL EXAMINERS AND CORONERS ALERT PROJECT
April 2021
MECAP Reports | Page 2
Asphyxia/Suffocation
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Submersion
MECAP Reports | Page 3
Fire
All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs)
Electrocution
Fatalities Involving Other Hazards
MECAP Contact | Page 4
The following pages summarize MECAP reports Yolanda Nash
received by CPSC selected for follow-up Program Analyst
investigation. The entries include a brief Division of Hazard and Injury Data
description of the incident to illustrate the type and Systems Directorate for Epidemiology
nature of the reported fatalities. This important
information helps CPSC carry out its mission to U.S. Consumer Product Safety
protect the public from product-related injuries and Commission
deaths. 4330 East-West Highway
Bethesda, MD
We appreciate your support; please continue to 20814
report your product-related cases to us. ynash@cpsc.gov
1-800-638-8095 x7502 or 301-504-7502
*Cases selected for CPSC follow-up investigation
Asphyxiation/ down to sleep in a toddler basement stairs. The
Suffocation bed with multiple heavy electric power had been
blankets. The next morning, shut off, and the generator
*A 7-year-old female was the mother found the was used to provide power.
discovered by her mother decedent positioned face EMS measured the carbon
unresponsive in bed with a down in the soft bedding monoxide level at 500 ppm.
balloon pulled over her face. and blankets. Despite The cause of death was
The decedent became emergency efforts, the carbon monoxide poisoning.
entangled with a helium infant was pronounced dead
balloon tied to her bed and at the hospital. The cause Submersion
suffocated. EMS of death is pending.
transported her to a local *A 3-year-old male was
hospital, where she died 3 A 4-year-old male aspirated found floating in an in-
days later. The cause of a thumbtack. The decedent ground swimming pool at
death was complications of was at home playing with his home. The mother had
asphyxiation due to extrinsic his brother, and the brother briefly directed her attention
obstruction of airway- witnessed the decedent to her older child to help
smothering. placing the thumbtack in his with her homework.
mouth and collapse to the Minutes later, the decedent
A 4-week-old male died floor. He was taken to a was missing. The mother
while sleeping in a full-size local hospital and and grandmother searched
bed. The decedent was resuscitated. The for the decedent, and the
sleeping on his back next to thumbtack was surgically grandmother found the child
his mother. The mother removed. After further floating face down in the
woke up and discovered the complications, the child died pool in the rear of the
decedent underneath her, a few days later. The cause residence. A wooden fence
lifeless. Emergency rescue of death was aspiration. surrounded the pool. The
transported the decedent to door to the fence was
the hospital. Despite Carbon Monoxide propped open for an
resuscitative efforts, he was Poisoning unknown reason, which
pronounced dead. The allowed the child to gain
cause of death was A 53-year-old male was access to the pool. The
unspecified. discovered unresponsive in cause of death was
his apartment, lying on the drowning.
A 5-month-old male was floor beside two portable
discovered unresponsive gas generators. The
while sleeping in a toddler generators were positioned
bed. The infant was placed at the bottom of the
A 47-year-old male resided with their nephew.
drowned in an in-ground Both decedents were heavy Electrocution
swimming pool. The smokers. The decedents
decedent was at a private used a stove to heat the A 63-year-old male died
pool party with other house and smoke. The from electrocution while
friends. At some point, his nephew was sleeping trimming trees. The
friends left the pool, and the upstairs and was awakened decedent’s power saw
decedent was alone. The by the smoke alarm. He was came into contact with an
decedent’s wife discovered unable to go downstairs due overhead 7,200-volt power
him at the bottom of the to the smoke, and called out line. The decedent
pool. He was removed to his uncle. The uncle sustained electrical burns
from the pool and began yelled that a chair was on with charring of the palms
vomiting with labored fire. The nephew jumped of both hands and wrists.
breathing. Fire Rescue out of the second-floor The cause of death was
arrived at the scene and window. The fire department electrocution with cardiac
transported him to the confirmed both brothers arrest.
hospital, where he died in were dead on the scene.
the emergency room. The The cause of death was Fatalities Involving Other
cause of death was acute carbon monoxide Hazards
drowning. intoxication and thermal
burns. A 37-year-old male died
FIRE from a crushing injury to his
ATV/UTV neck while lifting barbell
*A 63-year-old female died weights alone at the gym.
from a candle fire. The Three people were hit by a The decedent was
decedent was trying to blow car and killed while riding discovered in cardiac arrest
out a candle when she an ATV. The decedents by a security guard. The
dropped it on the floor, were a 7-year-old female, a guard removed the weight-
subsequently catching her 13-year-old female and the lifting apparatus off of the
pants on fire. She stumbled decedents’ father was decedent. Fire and Rescue
and fell, sustaining injuries driving. No one was transported him to the
to her face. The cause of wearing any safety hospital. Despite all life-
death was complications of equipment. The ATV saving efforts, the decedent
thermal cutaneous injuries. overturned on its side. The expired. The cause of death
vehicle was speeding over was asphyxia and neck
A 3-year-old-female died in 100 mph. The cause of compression.
a house fire caused by a death was multiple blunt
space heater and toaster force injuries. A 40-year-old male died
oven. The family was using from a severe head injury
the items to stay warm. The *A 50-year-old male died while repairing an indoor
decedent was sleeping while riding his ATV in an pool pump for a recreational
when the fire began. She open field. The decedent center. The pump exploded
was found in the living was not wearing any safety while the decedent was
room. Four siblings taken to devices and was partially repairing the unit. The
the hospital suffered smoke ejected when the ATV decedent was taken to the
inhalation. The children’s overturned. The roll bar hospital and placed on life
ages ranged from 5-years- landed on the decedent’s support. The cause of death
old to 10-years-old. The neck, and he was unable to was severe head trauma.
children’s parents refused lift the ATV off of him. The
medical attention. The decedent died on the
cause of death of the 3- scene. The cause of death
year-old female was smoke was external compression
and soot inhalation. of the neck.
Two brothers, a 57-year-old
and a 63-year-old, died in a
house fire. The decedents
Page 3 MECAPnews
The Medical Examiners and Coroners Alert Project There are several ways you can report a MECAP case:
(MECAP) is designed to collect timely information on • ONLINE MECAP reporting at Internet portal:
fatalities associated with consumer products. There are http://SaferProducts.gov
thousands of types of consumer products under the • Phone: 1-800-638-8095
Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) • Fax number: 301-504-0038
jurisdiction, and Commission staff needs your help in • E-mail to: epdsfax@cpsc.gov
identifying potentially hazardous products or hazard • Postal Mail:
patterns that contribute to deaths of consumers. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Medical Examiners and Coroners Alert Project (MECAP)
Medical examiners and coroners should submit fatality Attn: Yolanda Nash
reports and reports of harm or potential harm involving 4330 East-West Highway, Ste. 510
consumer products to CPSC. Guidelines for completing Bethesda, MD 20814
and submitting a MECAP report are located at: Yolanda Nash: ynash@cpsc.gov,
https://www.saferproducts.gov/IncidentReporting 1-800-638-8095 x7502, or 301-504-7502
Please contact CPSC to report fatalities that are associated with a consumer product. Every MECAP report is important
to CPSC investigators and will be included in the CPSC’s incident database. All it takes is one MECAP report to alert
the CPSC to a potentially hazardous product. The MECAP reports help CPSC staff to identify longstanding, hidden, and
emerging product safety hazards. The data are crucial to reducing the risk of death and injury to consumers.
Page 4 MECAPnews
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