Jeff Brush/ THE POST Chris Coleman, an Athens resident, was taken from his home at 12 S. Shannon St. yesterday afternoon to O'Bleness Memorial Hospital for treatment of natural gas poisoning. The source of the leak was Coleman's stove, firefighters said. It is unknown how long the stove was on.

The Athens City Fire Department responded to a 911 call made by a South Shannon Street resident who complained of a gas smell yesterday afternoon.

The sole occupant of the house, Chris Coleman, was taken out of 12 S. Shannon St. by firemen around 2 p.m. yesterday.

"He couldn't really talk to us then and he didn't say much to the 911 operator," Capt. Kenny Gilbraith said. "He was pretty much overcome by gas when we got there."

After getting Coleman out of the house, Southeastern Ohio Medical Services emergency personnel gave him oxygen, Gilbraith said. Coleman was taken to O'Bleness Memorial Hospital where he was treated and released.

"They gave me oxygen and ran some tests," Coleman said. "I'm going to be off work for a couple of days."

Coleman said the gas on the stove was on and it filled the house.

"I woke up and smelled it and then I called 911 and tried to get out, but ended up passing out," he said. "The next thing I knew, I was being carried out by fire fighters."

AFD is not sure where the origin of the gas leak is; however, AFD turned off the gas on the stove when they arrived on the scene, Gilbraith said.

"We're not sure if the pilot light went out or what," he said.

Coleman said he thinks it was the pilot (light).

"A pot of water was on the stove to heat and the pilot didn't light," he said.

AFD plans to follow up their investigation in order to determine the exact origin, Gilbraith said.

Coleman's landlord and the maintenance people have not returned calls to the fire department, Gilbraith said.

"We're still working on getting a hold of them," he said. "The gas company will have to come out and look at it."