Bluffton, MN- A Bluffton couple died last weekend, in what appears to be a carbon monoxide poisoning accident.
The couple was apparently working on a vehicle in a machine shed when they were overcome by exhaust fumes.
My feeling was that this was a tragic accident, said Otter Tail County Sherrif’s Department Sergeant Al Frank.
The bodies of David, 73, and Nancy, 66, Anderson were discovered Sunday morning, July 12, by neighbors who came to check on them, said Frank. The Andersons were planning to travel to Brainerd on Sunday.
The accident probably happened between late Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning said Frank. A coroner’s report is pending, which usually takes about two weeks, said Frank, though deputies were able to confirm that carbon monoxide was found in the victims’ bloodstreams.
Frank said that a hose had been attached to the tailpipe and was extended outside the shed, indicating that they were properly venting the exhaust from the shed. However, it appears that the exhaust hose had become detached from the tailpipe and that’s when carbon monoxide escaped into the room where they were working, said Frank.
David Anderson was partially disabled and used a wheelchair for much of his movement, so it wasn’t uncommon for the husband and wife to work together in the garage, said Frank.
They did a lot of things together, and she helped him out… Because of that, my feeling is that it was an accident while they were working on their car, he added.