Carbon monoxide kills Saguenay man, poisons 4 others

A 69-year-old man is dead, and four people were sent to hospital after suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Marcel Bouchard, 69, was found unconscious in his garage in Saguenay by his spouse. He was declared dead on the scene.

First responders who attended to Bouchard, as well as his partner, had to be treated for carbon monoxide poisoning after an air quality test showed dangerously high levels of the odourless, colourless, but highly toxic gas in the garage.

Three of them —a police officer, a paramedic and Bouchard's spouse — were transferred to Quebec City to be treated in a hyperbaric chamber. They have since returned home to Saguenay.

The incident is under investigation, but Dominic Gagnon of Saguenay police said there are no signs of criminal activity nor does the poisoning appear to be linked to a suicide.

"For the moment, there is nothing to make us believe that procedure wasn't followed," he said.

He said one of the vehicles in the garage may have been left running, which could have led to the high level of carbon monoxide emissions.