Pet owner reveals how cleaning out fish tank nearly killed him and other family members-teaser

Chris Matthews, 27, was hospitalised along with his girlfriend, mum, dad, sister and her boyfriend, and four firefighters after they breathed in toxic fumes. Experienced fish owner Chris was cleaning out a tank and moving the contents to another container when the accident happened. In the process he took out a rock covered in coral and scraped it clean. Inadvertently he released deadly substance palytoxin into the atmosphere, and then closed the door and went to sleep. The following day the entire family suffered flu-like symptoms, and even their two dogs became ill. Chris suffered breathlessness, coughing and fever which he said was ‘as bad as pneumonia’. Over the course of the day, his mother, sister and her boyfriend all came down with varying levels of illness. Chris realised that it was likely the family had been poisoned and dialled 999.