2 dead, 1 injured from carbon monoxide poisoning in Mille Lacs County
Stock image of police lights. (FOX TV Stations / FOX 9)
PRINCETON TOWNSHIP, Minn. (FOX 9) - Mille Lacs County authorities found two people dead inside a house from carbon monoxide poisoning over the weekend.
Deputies responded to the 1600 block of 10th Avenue in Princeton Township on Sunday, Feb. 11, for a report of a possible overdose, but fire crews later found lethal amounts of carbon monoxide inside the home.
While searching the residence, authorities found a 20-year-old woman and a cat who had both died. A 27-year-old man was located dead in the upstairs bedroom along with a dog who was going in and out of consciousness. The dog’s condition is unknown, according to the Mille Lacs County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities said the person who called 911 was also transported to the hospital for carbon monoxide poisoning treatment, and as of Monday, her condition is unknown.
The initial investigation suggests the people inside the house were using propane heaters and a gas-powered generator to power space heaters inside the house. The sheriff’s office noted there was no power or running water at the time of the incident.
"This tragedy serves as a reminder of the dangers of carbon monoxide. It is never safe to run combustion engines inside of an enclosed space. Make sure your home is always equipped with working carbon monoxide alarms to alert you to dangerous levels of carbon monoxide," said Mille Lacs County Sheriff Kyle Burton in a statement.
The sheriff’s office did not say whether the house had carbon monoxide detectors.