A man's tragic death on a boat is fueling an effort to increase awareness about the dangers of carbon monoxide.
This year, Delegate Joseline Pena-Melnyk introduced HB1322, also known as Matthew's Law.
"Matthew Thomas McHale was my son," Alita Ball told the Environment and Transportation Committee on Wednesday afternoon. "He passed away tragically and senselessly from carbon monoxide."
McHale was 25 and working for a yacht management company in November 2016, when he died while trying to winterize a boat.
MOSH later found a non-functioning carbon monoxide detector on the boat.
"This bill is really mostly about the safety of all Maryland boaters regarding the dangers of carbon monoxide," said Ball, getting emotional at times during her testimony.
A former state Senator, Republican Ed Reilly, also testified in favor of the bill, which he had introduced during his time in the legislature.
"Everyone is in favor of this bill," says Pena-Melnyk.
The bill would require gasoline-powered boats to have carbon monoxide warning labels in multiple places on the vessel.
The warning labels would include information on symptoms of carbon monoxide, which could help alert people if they start experiencing them.
"According to Matthew's texts, he had several common symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning," Ball said. "He told his supervisor that he was dizzy and had difficulty performing simple motor functions, like texting."
"One of his very last texts that day," she reads "I quote, from Matthew, 'I'm not going to finish this one today, the fumes from the engine have me feeling really dizzy, I actually fell over trying to walk to my truck, this isn't good, it's hard to type.'"
Ball said that the supervisor told McHale to shut it down, sending him back onto the boat.
"This is when he lost consciousness and passed away from the toxic fumes," says Ball. "This tragedy is 100% preventable."
There were no in-person witnesses testifying in opposition to the bill.
The Environment and Transportation Committee will need to vote before the bill can move to the House floor.