Follow-up On Teak Boarding Incident

Following this past Tuesday’s report on the two girls who suffered carbon monoxide poisoning while “teak boarding” or “teak surfing” (click on the link below for a copy), the park received a number of queries about this sport. The activity is called “teak surfing” because the swim platforms on ski boats are often made of teak wood. Swimmers use these transom platforms to body surf on the wake behind a slow moving boat. Unfortunately, the inboard motor exhaust ports place the swimmers in direct contact with carbon monoxide gases, leading to potentially deadly exposure. This is true even if the boats have side exhausts, since the vessels create a draft that pulls the exhaust gases back into the swim platform area. High concentrations of carbon monoxide can cause a rapid loss of consciousness and death. Levels of carbon monoxide are more dangerous in the boating environment because they can lead to drowning. In addition, carbon monoxide concentrations released from boats can be over 150 times higher than exhaust from an ordinary automobile. Carbon monoxide—an odorless, colorless, and tasteless gas—is a leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths each year in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control, approximately 500 people perish annually due to carbon monoxide poisoning. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning may include severe headache, dizziness, confusion, nausea, fainting, and death. Low levels can cause shortness of breath, slight nausea, and a mild headache. Because of its inherently unsafe nature, “teak surfing” is illegal in all national park units under Title 36 CFR 3.8(b)(7) and  it is also illegal in a number of states. Glen Canyon NRA has done extensive work with houseboat manufacturers and users following a series of carbon monoxide fatalities. The internet links below also provide additional information related to the dangers of carbon monoxide while boating:
http://www.uscgboating.org/articles/boatingview.aspx?id=114
http://www.nps.gov/glca/planyourvisit/upload/BSC86.pdf