ALPINE TOWNSHIP (WWJ) - Authorities say three people have been found dead in a home near Grand Rapids.
Kent County Sheriff’s Deputies were called on the afternoon of Dec. 22 to a report of three unresponsive people. The three people, an 86-year-old man, his 81-year-old wife and their 61-year-old son, were found inside their Alpine Township home, which is north of Grand Rapids, deputies said.
Firefighters found high levels of carbon monoxide in the house. The house had to be ventilated before it was safe for them to enter, authorities said.
"The Kent County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call to our dispatch center from some distraught family members that came to a residence here," Kent County Sheriff Sgt. Eric Brunner said. “They hadn't heard from their family in a while. So it is speculation at this point that it is related to carbon monoxide poisoning.”
Autopsies are expected to be performed to determine the cause of death, but officials said there didn’t appear to be anything suspicious.
Experts recommend all houses have carbon monoxide detectors. Carbon monoxide is colorless, odorless and very dangerous. They recommend that at a minimum, one carbon monoxide detector should be installed on each floor of a residence. The EPA says detectors should be installed about five feet from the floor.