Matthew Goldstein of Newton, Massachusetts & wife, Lyla Goldstein & their college age children found dead from a suspected carbon monoxide leak at their New Hamphire house on Christmas Day after their propane heating system is thought to have malfunctioned. Deaths deemed accidental.
A tragedy that could’ve been averted …? A Massachusetts family of four was found dead after a suspected carbon monoxide leak on Christmas Day while staying at their New Hampshire ‘holiday house,’ authorities said.
The Goldstein family, of Newtown, Mass., were discovered in their New Hampshire lake house just before 4:30 p.m. Wednesday after failing to show up to a holiday gathering with concerned family members notifying police, according to New Hampshire State Fire Marshal Sean Toomey.
Victims likely died in their sleep overnight
High volumes of carbon monoxide were reported inside the family’s Wakefield home at the time of the discovery, with the father– identified as school teacher Matthew Goldstein, 52 – determined to have died from carbon monoxide poisoning.
The propane heating system in the vacation home appeared to have malfunctioned, authorities told the Associated Press.
Goldstein taught eighth grade at the Edith C. Baker School near Boston, which serves the Chestnut Hill and South Brookline neighborhoods of Brookline.
Also found deceased was the school teacher’s wife, Lyla Goldstein, 54, a project manager at Microsoft as well as the couple’s daughters Valerie, a 22-year-old Teach for America fifth-grade teacher in North Carolina and Violet, a 19-year-old Rhode Island School of Design student.
Toomey said police found three of the victims in bedrooms and the fourth in a bathroom, and that authorities suspect they died during the night. When fire crews arrived, they found the home had elevated levels of carbon monoxide, Toomey said, adding that the deaths were believed to be accidental.
Autopsies on all family members were performed on Thursday and a cause of death for the three women is pending.
Preventable tragedy
There were no carbon monoxide detectors found in the house, investigators said. A look at Amazon’s website shows such devices retailing from $25-$99.
‘Efforts to determine the cause of the suspected carbon monoxide leak remain active and ongoing, and investigators are continuing to inspect the home’s gas heating system,’ the state fire marshal said in a Friday update.
Carbon monoxide is an odorless and colorless gas that can cause sudden illness and even death if inhaled, according to the CDC.
More than 400 Americans are killed each year from unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning not connected to fires – and more than 100,000 visit the emergency room and 14,000 are hospitalized according to the CDC.
The CDC recommends having home chimneys checked and cleaned annually, as chimneys can be blocked by debris that can cause carbon monoxide to build indoors.
The agency also recommends replacing carbon monoxide detectors every five years or per the manufacturer’s instructions.
