MESA, AZ — Police body camera video shows the chaotic evacuation of a Holiday Inn Express in Mesa after a carbon monoxide leak left guests sick and led to a lawsuit against the hotel.
It happened on October 16, 2023, at the hotel located at 1405 South Westwood in Mesa. Police body camera footage, obtained by ABC15, captures officers racing through hallways and evacuating guests.
"Mesa Police - Possible carbon monoxide leak. We're evacuating the building. Everybody needs to get out right now," an officer is heard saying in the video.
Minutes before the evacuation, officers found Tania Hatch, who was staying at the hotel with her husband, collapsed outside, barely alert and weakened by the carbon monoxide.
"The elevator I couldn't stand. I just reached up and pushed something in hopes that I could, like, get out," Hatch said in a previous interview with ABC15.
Her husband, Lashley, was also sick, describing similar symptoms to police.
"I'm pretty sure we're having carbon monoxide poisoning. I'm having the same thing. We're feeling sick. We're faint. We want to throw up," Lashley Hatch told officers in the body camera video
"I'm convinced I would have just slept through and died if she had not woken up and been throwing up," Lashley Hatch said in a previous interview with ABC15.
Mesa Fire investigators found the cause of the carbon monoxide leak was the "new tankless water heaters,” according to the fire report.
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The Hatch family and another family are now suing the hotel and an independent contractor. The lawsuit claims the tankless water heaters were "improperly, carelessly and illegally installed,” and were “venting carbon monoxide inside the property rather than to the outside of the property.”
“It’s hard for me to believe that they would do it this way,” said Michael Burg, an attorney who represents both families.
The Mesa Fire report doesn’t directly blame installation. But Burg said photos taken by Mesa Fire and included in its report clearly illustrate the failure.
"When you look at this, you can see that there's absolutely no venting," Burg said.
"This was an absolute tragedy that should have never happened," Lashley said.
In legal filings, both the hotel and the contractor who installed the tankless water heater have denied the allegations in the lawsuit. Their attorneys did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Carbon Monoxide detector requirements
Carbon monoxide is impossible to see or smell but can be quickly detected by a carbon monoxide alarm. However, the victims said they never heard an alarm go off.
"No, never," Lashley said when asked if he heard a carbon monoxide alarm.
Police and fire reports show no evidence of any carbon monoxide alarm sounding during the incident.
"It seems like they don't care. They're not willing to invest in a simple technology to keep their customers safe," Lashley said.
Charon McNabb, founder of the National Carbon Monoxide Awareness Association, said Arizona carbon monoxide detector requirements could be improved.
"Most people believe that carbon monoxide alarms are as common as smoke alarms, but they're not,” McNabb said. “Arizona has a lot of work to do.”
Arizona does not have a law requiring carbon monoxide detectors in all hotels and motels.
"It's a simple, easy fix. It takes two screws and a $20 bill, and these will save lives," McNabb said.
The City of Mesa's fire code requires carbon monoxide detectors in hotels with "fuel burning appliances," which would include tankless water heaters. However, the city said a carbon monoxide alarm was not required in the guest rooms in this case.
"Hotels and motels are the most basic place where CO alarms should be required. People go to sleep. They are paying to sleep safely," McNabb said.
The city said the hotel had an exception because the water heaters were in the boiler room, writing in a statement: "A carbon monoxide detector wasn't required because there's no direct connection between the fuel-burning appliance and the occupied space where CO could enter."
"If there is a leak, there should have been an alarm," Lashley said.
The city says the tankless water heaters that caused the leak have since been removed from the hotel.
The city also confirmed to ABC15 it issued a code violation to the hotel for not having a carbon monoxide detector in the room with the tankless water heaters after the incident.
Potential warning signs
According to the Mesa Fire report, emergency crews were called to the hotel the day before for reports of "sick people."
Body camera video reveals additional concerns about potential warning signs in the weeks prior.
"Manager's been saying this has been happening on the second floor all week," an officer can be heard saying in the video.
The police report also says the hotel manager told officers fire crews were there "several weeks for similar calls for service, with people being transported to the hospital."
"It's so alarming and disgusting to not have somebody take care of it. They had warnings," Tania said.
"This could happen to anyone. There are hotels all over the place, and it's just a tragedy that this ever even happened," Lashley said.
