A MOTHER has told of the harrowing evening when her family fell ill with carbon monoxide poisoning visiting a go-karting venue in Newport.
Kristie Richards, of Tredegar, visited Supakart to celebrate her son’s birthday on Friday, November 1, 2024.
Her family and son’s friend developed carbon monoxide poisoning after the venue experienced ‘ventilation problems’.
After riding the go-karts, her son and his friend told them they were feeling unwell and dizzy, so they went outside to get some fresh air.
“I thought maybe they had motion sickness, so I thought I’d take them back upstairs and give them cake or something,” she said.
When her son and his friend started to feel unwell for the second time, the went back outside again.
“I’m not comfortable leaving my 13-year-old in the middle of Newport so I told them to come inside and sit on the benches and we’ll leave the door open.
“At this point there were probably about 20 people outside all sat down with their heads in their hands and some vomiting.
The other three who weren’t feeling unwell at the time, went to go back for another turn on the go-karts.
However, Kristie said: “When I went to check on the two children, they were pretty much falling asleep laying down.
“It was quarter past eight and I thought he is a big sleeper, I didn’t really put two and two together."
Kristie described the woman behind reception as ‘sweating and looking unwell’.
At around 8.55 to 9pm the staff told everyone ‘we have got to close now, we have got to refund anybody. We are really sorry. We have got a bit of a ventilation problem’.
“We have got to close now, we have got to refund anybody, we are really sorry. We have got a bit of a ventilation problem.”
On the drive home, Kristie said: “Everybody felt so unwell, so I opened all of the windows, it was my only way to get home, I had no other option.”
“We passed out as soon as our heads hit the pillow and woke up at quarter past nine in the morning which is really not like me.
“I normally sleep for only five or four hours a night.”
On the Saturday, the whole family woke up feeling unwell and at two in the afternoon Kristie received a call from the owner of Supakart.
In the call Kristie said the owner told her ‘I’m calling to tell you that it was actually carbon monoxide we had there. It is up to you if you want to seek medical advise’.
After this call, Kristie contacted 111 who advised the whole family to attend A&E as soon as possible.
A medical staff at Prince Charles Hospital told her 30 to 50 people from the venue had attended hospital with the same symptoms.
“When we got there, they questioned who had told us to go down to the hospital as 30 to 50 people turned up from the same place, they had to inform public health Wales,” she said.
The family received multiple tests, and all came back positive in their blood for carbon monoxide.
Her dad and brother needed oxygen until around half past nine before being allowed to go home.
The South Wales Argus approached Supakart and Public Health Wales for a comment on the incident.
The venue will remain closed until further notice while investigations are carried out, confirmed the council.
A witness saw multiple people throwing up outside the venue and two boys lying down in the reception area.
A health and safety investigation is now being carried out.
A spokesperson for Newport City Council, commenting on the incident, said:
“Newport City Council was informed that people were taken ill while visiting Supakart Newport on the weekend.
“The premises were voluntarily closed on Saturday and remained closed while health and safety investigations continues.
“It would be inappropriate to comment further while the investigation is underway, but we hope everyone involved makes a full recover.”
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