The recent headline "Carbon monoxide sickens two girls" brought back tragic memories for former state legislator Ann Robinson.

The approaching Fourth of July holiday already had Robinson thinking about the carbon monoxide-related boat accident that nearly killed her 7-year-old granddaughter and claimed the life of another young girl exactly two years ago.

However, Tuesday's incident, where two girls suffered carbon monoxide poisoning while riding behind a boat on Jackson Lake, reminded Robinson just how ill-informed the public is.

Robinson had already begun her crusade to educate people about carbon monoxide and boats, but this latest incident gave her a chance to say, "It can happen in Wyoming.

"A lot of people will be on the lake this weekend and the rest of the summer," Robinson said. "We want them to learn from education, not from experience like our family did."

On July 7, 2007, Robinson's daughter, son-in law, granddaughters and family friends went to Lake Powell in Arizona.

Kayleen Tubbs and her friend Megan Evans, both 7, jumped into the water behind the boat, but Robinson's daughter Marla Tubbs told them to swim away from the propellers.

It was too late.

Kayleen tried to climb the stairs up the boat but fell back in the water. Everyone thought she was knocked unconscious when she bumped her head, when in fact it was carbon monoxide poisoning from the boat's exhaust.

Megan started to swim to her parents' boat but never made it.

Megan had a carbon monoxide level of 65 percent and died. About 90 minutes after they were pulled from the water, Kayleen still had a carbon monoxide level of 27 percent but survived.

No one in the family thought this could happen. The girls were only behind the boat a few minutes and they were outside.

Poisoning can happen outside and it takes only a matter of breaths, she said. A boat emits 188 times the amount of carbon dioxide as a car does.

As a board member of the Carbon Monoxide Action Group, Robinson tells Wyomingites to not go around the back of the boat and never teak surf.

The girls on Jackson Lake were teak surfing, or clinging to the back of a boat while it moves. It is illegal in many states and all national parks.

Robinson said she empathizes with the driver of the boat, because he "just didn't know.

"Ninety-nine percent of people I talk to haven't heard of this," Robinson said. "They thank me."

Contact health reporter Allison Rupp at (307) 266-0534 or allison.rupp@trib.com.

Prevent CO poisoning on the water

- Maintain fresh air circulation throughout the boat.

- Know where engine and exhaust outlets are and keep people away from them.

- Never sit, teak surf or hang on the back of the boat deck while the engine runs.

- Do not go under swim platforms with exhaust outlets.

- Take immediate action if you smell exhaust fumes. Though you can't smell carbon monoxide, it's there if you smell fumes.

- Install and maintain carbon monoxide detectors inside the boat.

- Have a marine technician check your boat annually and perform routine maintenance on it.

* Source: United States Coast Guard