that's when they found the restaurant steven nelson unconscious, also in the basement. taken to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead. >> we had to leave because i didn't want leave. they don't us just to stay outside. >> reporter: more than two dozen people, including two first responders were taken to had hospital. according to the police, most of the patients are legal sea foods employees. they are sending a message on twitter devastated by the news of the leak and offering condolences for the loss of their general manager, steven nelson. fred? >> thanks so much, alexandra field. >>> something all of us have been talking about all winter long. polar vortex. great name, but what does it mean? great lesson on the polar vortex. >>> you may know actor girard butler from "300" but the star has a softer side. he showed in his work with a cnn hero's charity that works to help impositiverished children. >> proud and fellow scotsman magnus mcfarland. i was actually a little bit star struck when i met magnus. since then we have become good friends and now here i am in

that's when they founding the 55-year-old manager, steven nelson, unconscious, also in the basement.where he was later pronounced dead. >> we had to leave because i didn't want to blow up or anything like that, so i didn't know how dangerous it was. they just told us to stay outside. >> reporter: more than two dozen people, including seven first responders, were sickened by the gas and taken to local hospitals with nonlife-threatening symptoms. according to police, most of the patients are legal seafoods employees. legal seafoods is speaking out on twitter sending a message saying they are devastated by news of the leak and also offering condolences for the loss of their general manager, steven nelson. fred. >> all right, thank you so much. >>> the u.s. says it wants a captured drug lord extradited. we'll tell you what happens, next. ♪ ♪ ♪ be powerful... ...connect. verizon. [ female announcer ] some people like to pretend a flood could never happen to them. and that their homeowners insurance protects them. [ thunder crashes ] it doesn't. stop pretending. only flood insurance covers

. >> reporter: emergency crews found legal sea foods manager, 55-year-old steven nelson unconscious in the basement. he was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. more than two dozen other victims including seven first responders were also sickened by the gas and had to be taken to area hospitals with nonlife-threatening symptoms. >> now, i think that's scary that we were in the same building. >> reporter: legal sea foods speaking out using their twitter feed saying they are devastated by the news of the leak and offering condolences on the loss of their general manager here steven nelson. alexandra field, cnn. >> all right, alexandra, thank you very much. 26 people who were treated have been released. >>> the new york city mayor wants to crack down on speeders zooming through the streets. he may want to use himself as an example of what not to do. ris motorcade was seen speeding and running stop signs. we'll talk about that next. one phillips' colon health probiotic cap each day helps defend against these digestive issues with three types of good bacteria. i should probab

a store manager, 55-year-old steven nelson, found dead in the restaurant's basement.ckly became light-headed when they walked in the restaurant. immediately, they evacuated the restaurant and two others. >> they just told us to get out of the building and that there were people who were passing t out. >> we were eating dinner. the place was jammed. and then just very calmly, the wait staff came and told us that we have to evacuate the building. >> now, the town code does not require carbon monoxide detectors, but authorities are blaming a faulty water heater flue and the store has been cited for having defective equipment. as of sunday night, another employee was still hospitalized in stable condition. >>> opening statements today in the trial of kerry kennedy, the daughter of robert kennedy, charged with driving under the influence after a 2012 collision with a tractor-trailer in new york. prosecutors claim kennedy knew her judgment was impaired by a sleeping pill. the defense says she must have taken the pill accidentally. the charge carries up to a year in jail, bu

arrived here, more people became sick and they found the restaurant's general manager 55-year-old steven nelson unconscious in the basement. he was rushed to the hospital and he was later pronounced dead. they quickly evacuated the legal s seafoods and evacuated two restaurants near to the legal seafoods. here's what the customers had to say about the scary experience. >> we were sitting at the bar having a glass of wine and i think one of the waitresses came up. i had to leave because i didn't want to blow up or anything like that. they told us to stay outside. >> in all, nearly 30 people were taken to local hospitals showing signs they were sickened by the gas. that number includes seven first responders and no one is in life-threatening condition. christi, victor. >> homicide detectives are on the scene. is that standard procedure? >> something that we spoke to suffolk police about. when the cause of death or origin of death is not immediately obvious, like maybe in the case of the car accident that it is standard that homicide detectives are called in to look at any factors that could have

at the seafood in new york, claiming the life of manager steven nelson. the 55 year old was found in the basement and later died at an area hospital. >> roger berkowitz is the president & c.e.o. of legal seafoods. >> really good guy. he just, he sort of epitomized, you know, sort of the family spirit that we have. >> berkowitz says the assistant general manager megan smith was looking for nelson when she succumbs to the carbon monoxide, falling and hitting her head it was that fall firefighters responded to. and only suspected carbon monoxide after many of them found themselves getting nauseous and dizzy. the restaurant wasn't required to have a carbon monoxide detector and there wasn't one installed. across the country 25 states require carbon monoxide detectors in residential buildings. only connecticut and maryland require them in schools. rhode island and texas require them in day care centers. and about half a dozen other states require detectors in hotels, motels and lodges. >> this is a terrible wake-up call to have. but you know, maybe it's an opp

manager steven nelson, unconscious. the 55-year-old father of two was later pronounced dead at the hospital. >> wonderful, always helping everybody. >> reporter: 27 others were hospitalized. all restaurant employees and first responders. today, fire officials say a faulty water heater flew pipe caused that deadly leak. >> there was some defective heating equipment in the building, creating a carbon monoxide issue. >> reporter: carbon monoxide is colorless, odorless and very dangerous. each year, an average of 430 people die from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning, and more than 15,000 are hospitalized. similymptoms of carbon monoxide exposure include headache, nausea and dizziness. the best treatment is fresh air, immediately. and an effective alarm can be a lifesaver. >> if you only have one carbon monoxide detector, the recommendations are to place that detector close to the sleeping area. >> reporter: investigators say the legal seafood was not required to have a carbon monoxide detector. as for the victims, all th

. >> and ceo roger berkowitz sending condolences to the 55-year-old general manager steven nelson who was killed in the basement after a carbon monoxide leak. plates and glasses left in place, and the fire department blames faulty heating equipment, but it may not have mattered much if the restaurant had a r carbon monoxide detector, which it did not. >> and you don't think of having one nor is it code to have one in the commercial setting, and so this has to raise awareness. >> reporter: om half a states require it for restaurants, and that is a revelation for many diners. >> scary. absolutely scary. i would absolutely advocate for that to be in place. >> reporter: and many first responders didn't know they were being poisoned initially, and they said in hindsight if they had gotten there later, it would have been worse. >> and if we had been five minutes later, we could have had more fatalities on our hands, and thank god, that didn't happen. >> we have checked in with the restaurants in our area, and we learned that restaurants in virginia are not required to have carbon monoxide d

. >> reporter: and they found the manager unconscious in the basement. 55 year steven nelson. he was pronounced dead at the hospital. >> there were ambulances everywhere. >> reporter: seven rescue workers were among those treated for exposure to the odorless deadly gas. but other survivors are staff members. the leak confined to the basement. >> it does not appear at the moment to have made it into the area of the restaurant where the customers were. >> reporter: legal sea foods declined to comment, but they posted this message on their twitter account. we are profoundly saddened to learn of the tragic death of our general manager, steve nelson. our thoughts and prayers are with his family. and there's a sign on the door of legal sea foods declaring it condemned and closed to the public. most of those who got sick were treated at area hospitals and have been released, dan. >> for more on the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning, dr. rich besser. good morning. are cases of mass poisonings like this rare? >> they are rare. they have been reported. we have seen them malls, even i

steven nelson was found dead in a basement saturday night.lized in stable condition. they are blaming a faulty water heater flew for the leak. >>> the pentagon is planning to downsize the army. secretary hagel is about to announce changes to shrink the army to the size it was in world war ii. is this new military vaj president bush that's the question. barbara starr is live. what are you hearing? >> either way it's going to be about politics. the pentagon wants to make drastic cuts is about to ub unveil the new budget. do you need as big an army with the advances in technology? so look for actual increases, perhaps, in cyber defense, in drones, in unmanned technology, all the things the military has been using. but what hagel is saying in this budget is no more big land wars. iraq, afghanistan, all of that is over. so he's looking to cut things like the 810 aircraft, originally designed for war against the soviets. the famed u-2 spy plane, now you can use drones. but, and it is a huge but, congress doesn't like budget cuts in military because

steven nelson died, the manager, and 27 others were taken to area hospitals after being exposed to carbone, which appears to have been leaking from the heating system in the restaurant's basement. police responding to the scene started feeling lightheaded and nauseous and began suspecting a carbon monoxide leak. they evacuated the restaurant and that's when they found the manager unconscious in the basement. he was pronounced dead at the hospital. >> when i came out, there were just a whole bunch of ambulances everywhere. they were telling everyone to come and get checked out. it was by zar. the day was normal, and then all of a sudden it went downhill. >> police say the leak was confined to the basement. it does not appear at the moment that the leak made it into the restaurant where the customers were. those sent to the hospital were restaurant employees, police or ambulance workers. carbon monoxide is odorless, colorless and kills. more than 400 people die every year from accidental poisoning and more than 20,000 visit the emergency room. >> it refines the red blood cells and it is lik

manager steven nelson was found unconscious in the basement. as authorities were evacuating the restaurant, he was pronounced dead at a local hospital. president and ceo of legal sea foods says more safety checks are needed. >> anything like this has to raise awareness to all of us who are in the commercial sector. you know, that we've got to push for more codes to come out to establish carbon monoxide detectors. >> and there was another carbon monoxide incident in maine over the weekend. 21 people suffered poisoning at a timeshare after a ventilation system failed there. >> all right. so the $24 million question, how can people protect themselves? >> doctors say know the signs of carbon monoxide poisoning. carbon monoxide poisoning can feel like the flu without a fever, with symptoms of headache, dizziness, and shortness of breath. >> carbon monoxide poisoning can be rapidly fatal within an hour or two. it's not always fatal if you catch it in time and it's a mild form. >> and to prevent poisoning, install those detectors in your home and make

manager steven nelson, unconscious. father of two was later pronounced dead at the hospital. >> wonderful, always helping everybody. >> reporter: 27 others were hospitalized, all restaurant employees and first responders. fire officials say a faulty water heater flue pipe caused that deadly leak. >> there was detective heating in the building causing carbon monoxide. >> reporter: it's odorless, tasteless and very dangerous. each year an average of 430 people die from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning and more than 15,000 are hospitalized. symptoms of carbon monoxide exposure include headache, nausea, dizziness. experts say the best treatment is fresh air immediately. and an effective alarm can be a life saver. investigators say the legal seafoods was not required to have a carbon monoxide detector. as for the victims, all those made sick here have been treated at area hospitals and released. mara schiavocampo, abc news, new york. >> apparently that ventilation system in the basement there helped circulate all that ca

restaurant in the mall in huntington station, new york, police say 55-year-old restaurant manager steven nelson died and 27 others were taken to area hospitals after being exposed to carbon monoxide. the local fire chief says it appears to have been leaking from a broken water heater flew pipe system in the restaurant's basement. once authorities arrived, they started feeling light headed and naushess. suspecting a carbon monoxide leak, they evacuated the restaurant. it does not appear the leak made it to the restaurant where the customers were. those sent to the hospital were employees, police, or ambulance workers. >> when kwl came out, there were a whole bunch of ambulances everywhere. they were telling everybody to come and get checked out. and it was just bizarre. the day was normal, they would find. >> carbon monoxide is odorless, colorless, and it kills. more than 400 people die every year from accidental poisoning, and more than 20,000 visit the emergency room. >> it's to the blood red cell and you can't get oxygen. it's like a form of internal strangulation. your tissues are strangling

manager steven nelson, unconscious. 55-year-old father of two, later pronounced dead at the hospital.dy. >> 2. 7 /*>> all restaurant employee first responders. fire officials say a faulty water heater flew pipe caused that deadly heat. >> there was a carbon monoxide issue. >> carbon monoxide is colorless, odorless and tasteless. and very dangerous. each year, an average of 430 people i do from carbon monoxide poisoning and more than 15,000 are hospitalized. symptoms of exposure include headache, nausea and dizziness. the best treatment is fresh air immediately. an effective alarm can be a live saver. legal sea foods was not required to have a carbon monoxide detector. all those sick here have been treated at area hospitals and released. abc news, new york. >> apparently that ventilation system in the basement there helps circulate all of that carbon monoxide. >> the restaurant was inspected nearly a year ago. there were no problems found. it was scheduled for another inspection next month. >> years ago, i did a story on a guy that was sick on a business trip and he kept going back to

they evacuated the restaurant and found steven nelson dead in a locked bathroom. the president and ceo said more safety checks are needed >> this has to raise awareness to all of us that we have to push for more codes to come out and establish carbon monoxide detectors. there are 25 state laws that require them in buildings and hotels and schools, but no laws requiring general businesses to have them. >> 25 laws -- that is half of the states. another one as well? >> people in maine suffered at a resort. one of the buildings gas furnace ventilation broke. more than 400 people die every year from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning. it feels like the flu but without a fever. >> it bind to the red blood cell and you cannot get oxygen to your tissues. your tissues are strangling. >> if you think you have been exposed get out immediately and install the detectors in your home and close to all of your sleeping areas. >> just go to home depot and get a monitor. plug it in and when it makes noise, get out. >>> another shot of arctic air is headed our way. get ready for a

water heater flue pipe caused the leak saturday night, claiming the life of 55-year-old manager steven nelson. roger berkowitz is the ceo of legal seafoods. >> in many senses it's like losing a family member. >> reporter: 27 people were taken to local hospitals. all of them employees or first responders. carbon monoxide can cause headaches, dizziness, vomiting, and confusion. each year it causes 170 deaths and thousands of hospitalizations. about half of the states require carbon monoxide detectors in residences, but only two require them in schools. two others in day care centers. just six make them mandatory for hotels and other lodgings. minnesota senator has introduced a bill to restrict carbon monoxide. >> this mainly happens in homes. when you have public areas -- restaurants and hotels -- where people could imagine of -- multiple people can die, it shifts the conversation. >> reporter: on sunday carbon monoxide sickened 21 people at the in season resort in maine. seven of them were hospitalized. state law does not require the hotel to have carbon monoxide detectors, and it didn't have

steven nelson found unconscious in the basement of the seafood he managed.-old pronounced dead at a hospital. 27 others people, seven of them first responders, sent to hospitals with symptoms of carbon monoxide exposure. >> this is news you don't expect to hear. it is almost unexpectedly losing a loved one. the restaurant did not have a carbon monoxide detector. new york state fire code doesn't require them in restaurants. we assume something is in place. the reality is that there isn't anything in place. this is a sad wakeup call for everyone. >> reporter: the deadly gas spread through the restaurant's basement because of a leak in a hot water heater. several were complaining of n z nauseousness and dizziness in the hotel. last year, three people died at a north carolina hotel almost two months apart. they traced it to ventilation for a pool heater. the gas is odorless, colorless and tasteless. you won't know there is a leak without a detector. >> if it is severe enough, they will pass out and go into a coma and die. in commercial spaces, the problem starts