The homeless man whose body was found at the Quebec City incinerator in 2023 died of asphyxiation after falling into a waste container, according to a report from the coroner’s office.
Marcel Saint-Laurent, 61, probably died of suffocation after falling into a semi-buried waste container, says coroner Donald Nicole in a report made public Tuesday.
The investigation concluded that he was “under the influence of stimulating substances” when he entered the container to “retrieve something”.
However, the “semi-buried” type container has a deceptive appearance since it has a total depth of almost three meters, only part of which is visible.
The man was unable to get out and died of suffocation “from a lack of oxygen”.
This container and 26 others of the same kind were then collected by truck and sent to the incinerator where Mr. Saint-Laurent’s body was found by employees.
-No recommendation
Toxicological analysis revealed the presence of methamphetamines and amphetamines in the deceased’s body. He also suffered from so-called “moderate” coronary and cardiovascular disease.
Marcel Saint-Laurent was well known to organizations helping the homeless in Quebec. After his death, employees of the Lauberivière shelter told the Duty that his mental health had deteriorated significantly during the pandemic and that he was homeless at the time of his death.
The coroner does not make any specific recommendations in connection with this death. However, he says he has obtained a commitment from the company manufacturing the containers to notify users of the danger that the buried part of the container may represent.
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