Police suspect two St. Clair County men found dead in a home this week were exposed to a toxic gas.
Detectives with the sheriff’s office said the investigation is ongoing.
St. Clair County Sheriff’s deputies were called at about noon Tuesday to a home in the 3900 block of Cribbins Road near Bryce Road in Clyde Township for a report of two unconscious men, officials said.
Deputies arrived at the home and encountered a chemical smell in the area, the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
Police found a 20-year-old Riley Township man and a 21-year-old Clyde Township man unconscious at the home. Both were taken to a hospital, where they were pronounced dead.
According to a preliminary investigation, the two men were working on the home’s well. New owners had recently purchased the residence, investigators said.
Authorities said they suspect the pair and first responders had been exposed to hydrogen sulfide, a toxic, colorless, and flammable gas with a rotten egg smell.
Known by various names, including sewer gas, it is produced by the decomposition of organic matter in sewers and swamps, as well as through industrial processes such as oil refining. Exposure to the gas can cause burning eyes, coughing, headaches, unconsciousness, and death.
Officials said multiple first responders were also taken to a hospital for decontamination.
cramirez@detroitnews.com
@CharlesERamirez
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: 2 dead after suspected toxic gas exposure in St. Clair Co., police say
Reporting by Charles E. Ramirez, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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