Two OPS officers help save nine family members in carbon monoxide tragedy

It was a very cold Sunday morning just before Christmas and per Constable Nic Soontiens, it was unusually quiet.

“The sun had just come up, we grabbed our coffees, and it was an easy-going morning,” he said not knowing his day was about to take a chaotic turn.

A high priority call came in and Cst. Soontiens marked himself and his colleague, Constable Devon Ward, en route to the location.

“The dispatcher came over the air saying there were reports of males that had fallen unconscious, but it was unconfirmed,” he explained. When Cst. Soontiens pulled up on scene, paramedics had just arrived, as well as Cst. Ward who handed him an unconscious child saying “there are more inside.” 

The only thing the officers knew at that moment was that they needed to go inside and get the unconscious people out to safety. They didn’t ask questions or try to figure out the cause of the situation – they went straight into action.

Cst. Soontiens went into the ambulance with the child who started to regain consciousness. “Children just started coming in.” He recalled the paramedics and Cst. Ward bringing more kids to him. “I just tended to the children, all had a decreased level of consciousness, I triaged and passed an oxygen mask from one to another.”

Paramedics carried an unconscious adult male out of the front door and shouted to Cst. Ward that “there were five more inside the house.”

“Not knowing what was going on or what was the cause at this point, I just ran inside the house, found an unconscious person, picked him up and carried him out,” Cst. Ward described. “It’s surprising with the adrenaline, how much stronger you become.”

The officer saw two more unconscious people when the garage door was opened – one of them with no vital signs.

The fire department arrived on scene and started taking readings with a pocket gas detector to find out why all these children and adults had fallen unconscious. The reading for carbon monoxide was high.

Cst. Ward performed CPR on one of the patients while Cst. Soontiens took care of the children, who had all regained consciousness at this point. More firefighters, paramedics and police officers arrived on scene. “It was very hectic,” Cst. Ward recalled. “But we all worked together to help everyone that needed to be helped.”

“It was freezing and the door to the ambulance was open,” described Cst. Soontiens. “The children were not dressed for the weather, so we covered them with blankets and were passing blankets around.” 

All ten family members were transported to the hospital and one adult passed away.

Though the family suffered the tragic loss of a loved one, Cst. Ward and Cst. Soontiens, along with other police officers, the Ottawa Paramedic Service and the Ottawa Fire Department, saved nine lives.

“The eldest child is really the one who saved everyone,” Cst. Ward said. “That child called the family friend who called 9-1-1 and without her calling for help, the outcome would be very different.”

Cst. Ward, not knowing the carbon monoxide reading in the house, ran in to save people risking his own health and safety. “It’s part of our job,” he said. “The priority of life is our utmost priority. We run into buildings when everyone else is running out.” 

A vehicle with the ignition turned on was operating inside a closed garage. The residents of the home were spending their first ever winter in Canada.

Though there are many resources for newcomers published online on winter safety, most of them consider dressing warm, staying active and avoiding the winter blues, few to no resources exist on winter safety for newcomers in regards to carbon monoxide.

Guy Archambault, retired captain of the Laval Fire Department, recalled a situation where newcomers suffered carbon monoxide poisoning after barbecuing inside their home.

“During an ice storm and a power outage, the family brought the barbecue inside the house to cook food and warm up,” he said in French. “People can think it's safe when they don't know, and it doesn't take long for carbon levels to rise.”

The investigation has been closed and concluded as non-criminal.

The Ottawa Police extends their condolences to the family and extends their gratitude to the selfless work of everyone involved in this tragic event.