‘He was knocking on death’s door’

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This article was published 16/01/2023 (1175 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A man who was rushed to the hospital after being found passed out from carbon monoxide poisoning on the side of the highway is thanking the amazing circumstances, and his faith, which led to his rescue from a life-threatening scenario.

Leonard Wiens began his day on Dec. 29 like any other. The Steinbach resident was driving to his farm in Marchand to tend to his cattle when he pulled over on Provincial Road 303 to take a phone call from his sister.

The two spoke on the phone for over an hour before Wiens ended the call to continue his journey to the farm when he realized something wasn’t right.

“I was sort of disabled,” he said. He barely made it on to Provincial Road 210 when he stopped the vehicle and lost consciousness.

His car, a 2009 Chevy Cobalt, had an existing exhaust leak. While speaking on the phone, the 70-year-old left his car running and suspects the day’s windy conditions blew the exhaust into his car, slowly poisoning him without his knowledge.

Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless, tasteless gas formed by the burning of fuel. It can be fatal when exposed to it in high levels.

Wiens’ niece happened to be driving on the highway to fetch groceries when she spotted her uncle’s car seemingly stuck on the side of the highway. She called her husband, who also happened to be driving in the area with a relative, to go pull him out.

When Wiens’ nephews got to the scene within a few minutes, they found their uncle passed out in his vehicle and a tow truck driver who was driving by and pulled over to assist. The driver thought Wiens was drunk because of vomit he observed in the car and called RCMP.

Knowing something wasn’t quite right, and that their uncle doesn’t drink, his nephews rescued Wiens from the locked vehicle and rushed him to Bethesda Regional Health Centre where doctors initially treated him for a stroke, performing a CT scan and administering a “clot-busting” drug given to stroke patients.

“I thought I was going to be married to a vegetable for the rest of my life,” Randine, Wiens’ wife, told The Carillon. She met her family at the hospital where she found her husband unable to move or speak.

After asking to be checked for carbon monoxide poisoning, doctors administered oxygen and tested his blood.

Carbon monoxide levels in an average, nonsmokers’ blood is less than two percent. Wiens’ was at 40 percent.

“He was knocking on death’s door,” Randine said.

According to a 2017 study by the University of the Fraser Valley, there are more than 300 carbon monoxide-related deaths and 200 hospitalizations per year in Canada. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headache, fatigue and dizziness, while more severe symptoms can include mental confusion, vomiting and loss of consciousness.

Within hours Wiens slowly gained back the ability to speak and move and the next evening he was discharged from the hospital.

“God took care of every circumstance every step of the way,” he said.

Elisha Dacey, communications manager for CAA Manitoba, called the situation “very uncommon.”

“(Carbon monoxide) can be such a dangerous thing,” she said.

Dacey said drivers who find themselves stuck on the highway are encouraged to turn off their vehicles and ensure their exhaust pipe is clear of snow or grass. If possible, drivers should exit their vehicles frequently or open a window to maintain fresh air flow.

Occupants who suspect they have been exposed to high levels of carbon monoxide should call an ambulance as soon as possible.

Wiens, now back to his usual self, is not taking the situation for granted.

“We never know when our last moment on earth is,” he said.

“It can end in a second and it’s very, very fragile.”