Carbon monoxide poisoning hospitalizes 10 people

Ten people were taken to hospital Sunday morning — one with no vital signs —  after a suspected case of carbon monoxide poisoning caused by a car left running inside a garage.

Police, paramedics and fire crews were called to Granville Street in the city's Vanier neighbourhood around 9:15 a.m. the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) wrote in a social media post.

First responders treated six adults and four children at the scene, according to the Ottawa Paramedic Service.

One adult had no vital signs, paramedics said, but was not declared dead. They were taken to hospital so that resuscitation efforts could continue.

The other nine patients were also hospitalized and were all in "serious condition," a spokesperson for the service said.

Friend found family

The carbon monoxide poisoning affected three connected units on Granville Street, said Rideau-Vanier Coun. Stéphanie Plante.

Enbridge representatives were on site Sunday assessing the situation, Plante said.

While all three units were evacuated, the 10 people who had to be hospitalized were all staying in the middle unit, said OPS acting Insp. Scott Pettis.

Police believe a car was running inside a garage while the door was closed and the exhaust built up, Pettis said.

Pettis said a friend stopped by, found them in distress and called 911.

"It's our understanding that the family that lives at the address is new to Canada," Pettis said. 

"They're not really familiar with the cold. And they did run their vehicle to make it warm for them to travel at some point — not knowing that they then had to open their garage door to properly [and] adequately ventilate the area."

Pettis said Sunday it wasn't clear yet if all 10 people were related.

Police are not treating the situation as suspicious but it's still under investigation, he added.

"There is a sufficient [carbon monoxide] alert system inside the house, so whether or not [it was] in working order, we're not exactly sure yet," he said.

Check detectors, police urge

Dr. Guillaume Lacombe, an ER doctor and toxicologist, said he regularly sees cases of carbon monoxide poisoning, "which is really sad because a lot of it is just prevention."

Lacombe said carbon monoxide buildup could also be caused by an electric generator or a slow-combusting furnace.

"You can't see it and you can't smell it, so there's no way of detecting it except by using a carbon monoxide detector," he said.

"If you have a carbon monoxide detector [and hear an] alarm ... the first thing to do is to get outside and leave the house," he said.

After that, people need to call emergency services, Lacombe added.

Pettis urged the public to check their own carbon monoxide detectors, fire alarms and other safety devices.

Plante agreed, and added that anyone affected by the poisoning could reach out to her office to get help accessing community supports.

"Vanier is a really tight-knit community. Everybody knows each other," Plante said, "It's really close to the holidays and this is a tragic event."