Manitoba inquest hears how man who died while waiting in hospital lost his legs

WINNIPEG – A man who died during a 34-hour wait at a Winnipeg emergency room lost both his legs when he was found frozen on the steps of a church in the dead of winter.

The inquest into the death of Brian Sinclair heard the 45-year-old man had been locked out his rooming house in January 2007.

Sinclair was found frozen in the fetal position several days later.

Dr. Maria Araneda told the inquest that Sinclair’s core temperature was 28 degrees, which was life-threatening.

She says Sinclair lost both his legs above the knee and had difficulty finding housing that would take him after that.

Sinclair died in September 2008 from a treatable infection caused by a blocked catheter.