A natural gas company service man was contacted early one winter morning to investigate a gas leak. A bridge crew had noticed a strong odor of gas and a hissing sound at a natural gas metering station.

Six hours later, his wife called the police because he had not yet returned home. When they went to check on him, the police found one vehicle and one set of footprints in the fresh snow. The door of a shed inside the compound was partly open, and they found the victim lying dead just inside the door.

The hospital pathologist found that the death was caused by a heart attack brought on by an atmosphere with little or no oxygen – because of the presence of the gas. The pathologist also found that the 36-year-old victim had an unknown heart condition, although he had appeared healthy and led an active life of sports.

The coroner recommended that atmospheric testing equipment be available to service people called to investigate gas leaks. He also advised that that work such as this always should done in teams of two. Team members should wear respiratory protective equipment (breathing apparatus) when entering any area suspected of escaping gases and that they only investigate suspected gas leaks if they are fully trained to do so.