Carbon monoxide poisoning suspected in death of Coulee City couple

Two elderly people were found dead Monday in Coulee City in what appears to be accidental carbon monoxide poisoning.

The Grant County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday that at about 7 p.m., a trailer park owner in the 500 block of West Walnut Street downtown found the man and woman dead inside their home. Investigators believe the two were killed by inhaling carbon monoxide, likely from a propane stove or heater.

“All of the appliances in the home were propane fueled,” said Deputy Kyle Forman, sheriff’s office spokesman. “The range in the kitchen, the heat, everything. They’re focusing on that as the most likely cause.”

Deputies do not suspect foul play. The couple did not have a carbon monoxide detector in their home.

An autopsy was scheduled Monday with Grant County Coroner Craig Morrison. He will release cause of death once the family has been notified.

Forman said this is the second carbon monoxide poisoning death in Grant County since 2007, when three children died and two more were hospitalized in Royal City after a generator released the gas inside the home.

Since it is colorless and odorless, Forman stressed Tuesday precautions that can help prevent poisoning. They include installing carbon monoxide detectors, opening the garage door before starting a car, only using gas appliances as directed, and not running generators in enclosed spaces.