A man who was arrested on suspicion of murder after waking up to discover his partner's dead body has spoken out over a decade later to issue an urgent health warning.
In summer 2011, Roland Wessling and Hazel Woodhams were enjoying a camping holiday in the Norfolk Broads when tragedy struck. After a long day of canoeing, Roland and Hazel purchased sausages to barbecue and spent the evening relaxing before retiring to bed.
When Roland woke up, he was half way outside of the tent's sleeping compartment and in agony. He immediately went to check on his 30-year-old partner and discovered that she'd passed away.
Roland was initially arrested on suspicion of murder, however the charges were dropped when in investigators realised the couple had both been victims of carbon monoxide poisoning – also known as the silent killer.
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What is carbon monoxide poisoning?
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colourless, odourless, and tasteless gas that is a byproduct of fires or appliances which burn gas, wood, oil or coal.
The gas can be fatal to humans, with carbon monoxide poisoning occurring when the gas builds up in the blood stream and replaces oxygen, leading to serious illness or death.
According to the NHS, the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include:
- Headaches
- Confusion
- Nausea or vomiting
- Shortness of breath and chest pain
Carbon monoxide poisoning cases are typically linked to faulty appliances inside the home, but in the case of Hazel and Roland, it was caused by the pair bringing their barbecue inside after believing it would rain.
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"We were doing all the cooking, nice and safe, outside the tent," Roland recalled in an interview to the BBC, adding that the cooking appliance had been 'cold to the touch' when the couple brought it inside their tent.
"The barbecue was cold to the touch. There was no smoke coming off it, no glowing, it seemed to be completely inactive."
He continued: "I remember waking up in the morning feeling extremely sick, extremely disorientated. I can honestly say I never felt worse in my life."
Roland would later learn that barbecues can continue to emit the gas after being extinguished, and has spent the following 14 years campaigning for increased awareness about the silent killer.
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"My job now is to save other people’s lives who, like Hazel and I, enjoyed camping and BBQs," he said in a recent interview with The Sun.
"Carbon monoxide poisoning is something you associate with a leaking boiler, tightly enclosed spaces, and leaking gas, he continued.
"It’s something you think would not happen in a tent in the middle of a nature reserve."
The now 54-year-old is now a trustee of the CO Research Trust charity and founder of the Carbon Monoxide Science and Technology Sub-Group, which seeks to educate people on the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning – and how to prevent it.
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He is particularly keen to see campers carry carbon monoxide detectors as a key part or their kit, stressing that the alternative to this is 'terrifying'.
"I know if we’d have had one, Hazel would not have died, and that haunts me daily," he added.
Topics: Health
Brenna Cooper