A resident of a Regina apartment building shared that the carbon monoxide alarm in his unit went off shortly before another tenant, an 11-year-old boy, tragically passed away in the same building. Upon contacting maintenance, he was advised to ventilate the area by opening windows and using a fan. The individual, who remains anonymous due to fear of reprisal, expressed regret for not pushing for further action from maintenance, believing that the boy’s death could have been prevented.
The father of the young victim, Henry Losco, mentioned that his son had been feeling unwell earlier that day and had gone to lay down in their apartment. Despite efforts to revive him, Henry did not wake up. Carbon monoxide, a colorless and odorless gas, is often referred to as a “silent killer” as it is undetectable without specialized equipment.
Following the tragic incident, residents of the building are seeking answers and accountability. Despite requests for interviews, the building owner and maintenance personnel have not responded to inquiries. The mother of the deceased boy expressed profound grief, emphasizing the irreplaceable loss of her child.
Heather Njaa, a neighbor who witnessed the events unfold, described rushing to help upon hearing distressing screams. She performed CPR on Henry before emergency services arrived, but unfortunately, he did not survive. Njaa later demanded explanations from the building management and advocated for enhanced safety measures, including the installation of carbon monoxide detectors in every apartment.
The building owner mentioned that the boilers had been recently inspected and were deemed operational the day before the incident. However, a subsequent internal explosion in one of the boilers led to a carbon monoxide leak. The fire chief confirmed ongoing investigations into the matter, highlighting the critical failure in the boiler as the root cause of the tragedy.
In response to the incident, a tenant on the third floor, Susan Wasylyshyn, took proactive measures by purchasing her own carbon monoxide detectors. She emphasized the importance of personal safety precautions following her own experience of feeling unwell on the day of the leak. Despite regulations requiring CO detectors in apartment buildings, they are not mandated to be present in every unit.
The grieving parents of Henry Losco shared their heart-wrenching experience to raise awareness and prevent similar tragedies in the future. They expressed their profound sorrow and emphasized the need for enhanced safety measures to protect residents from such devastating incidents.
