It was an tragedy which changed Jason Reynoldson's life forever.
The 38-year-old was left unconscious in the space of just minutes in a shed filled with undetectable toxic gas, knocking him unconscious.
The damage had spread to his entire body and doctors were forced to choose between his legs or his life.
The Sunshine Coast man had been working on restoring on an old caravan and left a generator charging in his shed while he went fishing on July 6.
With his wife Tanaya and children Jasmin, 11, and Taj, 8, away in Brisbane for a netball tournament, the father-of-two chose to stay behind for work.
Later that night he went to work on an old caravan he had been restoring and walked into the shed to get the generator.
It was only after he didn't turn up for work the next morning with his father, that his stepmother called to check on him and found him lying unconscious.
On a gofundme page launched by his father-in-law Mohambry Appavoo, it was revealed how the accident left a the father, nicknamed Jacko, clinging to life.
"Jacko was found unconscious after 10 hours accidental carbon monoxide poisoning. He had been charging a battery off a generator in a very well-loved shed," Mr Appavoo wrote.
"After fishing, he returned to his shed and less than 30 seconds of undetectable poison rendered him unconscious."
Appavoo said the decision was made to save his life but it meant both legs had to be amputated.
The agonising decision means his son-in-law now faces months of rehabilitation, while his family home will also need to be adapted.
Appavoo told Nine News his son-in-law was now in a stable condition after spending eight days in a coma.
He had only begun talking last week and doctors have only just given him the devastating news that he has lost his legs.
"To have a role model like Jacko is a gift," Appavoo wrote on the gofundmepage.
"A gift to ourselves and our children. He has a heart of gold, a hunger for life, a contagious spirit and as so many people have mentioned the ability to make you feel good about yourself."
He also said his son-in-law was a fighter who never complained and wanted to raise $150,000 which would help the family for a year.
More than $50,000 has been raised so far.