West Kelowna police rescue man and his dog with carbon monoxide poisoning

A West Kelowna man is recovering from carbon monoxide poisoning after being rescued by West Kelowna RCMP last night.

Police received a call around 8 p.m. yesterday, Dec. 2, from a family member concerned about his father’s health, according to an RCMP media release. The man’s father had just moved into a new house and he couldn’t recall the address of the residence, but a police officer was able to call and speak to the father.

He seemed to be confused and in distress, and wasn’t able to remember his address, but he was able to tell police he lived on Old Okanagan Highway and also provided a description of his truck.

RCMP said officers flooded the area and located a vehicle in front of a residence in the 2400 block of Old Okanagan Highway where they located the man inside.

He was transported to hospital by B.C. Ambulance where medical staff later informed police he was suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning. Police were also informed the man’s dog was still in the residence and was also subsequently rescued and taken to a veterinarian for treatment.

The West Kelowna Fire Department later determined the cause of the carbon monoxide was a malfunctioning furnace.

"The responding officers acted quickly to locate this man and get him medical assistance,” West Kelowna RCMP Sgt. Joel Glen said in the release. “This incident highlights the importance of ensuring that your residence has carbon monoxide detectors, and that they are functioning properly."

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