SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. — An elderly couple was found dead in their condo in Sarasota County on Friday.
Officials say 88-year-old James Livingston and his wife, 81-year-old Sharon Livingston died in an apparent accidental carbon monoxide poisoning.
The call came in at about 10:40 a.m. to 5244 Bouchard Circle.
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Erika Waldeck lives next door and had to evacuate when investigators found high CO levels in the unit.
She says her neighbors were a happy couple.
“They loved each other. She was a little teeny tiny girl and she walked every day. Just a lovely couple and they cared so much for each other,” she said.
Ed Christensen just got home from an unrelated hospital stay to find authorities airing his home out to make sure it was clear of any CO.
“Some of the odor must have gotten here,” he said.
The Sarasota County Sheriff’s offices says they are still working to find out what caused the high levels of carbon monoxide.
One possibility is a car left running in a closed garage.
"The only place there’s carbon is the car. There’s no carbon in that unit or any of these units," said Christensen.
We are told family members live in the area. Many in this community say they will miss their neighbors.
“We have to have celebration of life. Now I get emotional," said Waldeck.
Most people have smoke detectors in their home, but carbon monoxide detectors are also available.
They are especially important because you often can’t detect a CO gas leak until it’s too late.
The death investigation is on-going, but detectives says it's likely an accident based on preliminary information.
