(Rainy River District) – Fort Frances OPP have been responding to a rash of calls for drug overdoses in the town of Fort Frances. In the last 24 hours, police have responded for five emergency calls to respond to opioid overdose. All of the individuals survived.
“I’ve never seen anything like this in other communities,” said Acting Sargent Petrina Taylor-Hertz of the OPP.
Police have yet to determine if the drugs used were the same; one particular drug which has appeared recently in the area has proven deadly.
On July 12, Fort Frances OPP responded to two separate occurrences where two Fort Frances residents had ingested a yellow coloured drug. Both people became unconscious as a result and one Fort Frances resident died.
The deceased has been identified as Wayne Comigan, 62-years-old of Fort Frances.
In a second incident, a 50-year-old Fort Frances man was rendered unconscious by the drug, but survived. He has since been charged with Trafficking in a Schedule I Substance – Opioid, Possession of a Schedule I Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking – other drugs and Possession of a Schedule I Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking – Opioid.
The OPP are urging those who use illicit substances to be on the lookout for the yellow drug. It’s believed to be related to other fentanyl-containing drugs, similar to “purple down.”
“We don’t want anyone else to die,” said Taylor-Hertz. “We want people aware that this is out there, and that it is that lethal.”
When used correctly, Fentanyl is a prescription painkiller, used to manage chronic pain. However, it is extremely potent. It is fatal in doses as small as two milligrams, or 32 grains of table salt. Even handling the drug can prove lethal, because some forms pass through the skin, said Taylor-Hertz. Officers use Personal Protective Equipment on drug-related calls, including masks and gloves, to prevent exposure. All police officers are trained to administer Noloxone spray, which reverses the drug’s effects, and have carried it as part of their gear since 2017, when opioid drugs became more prevalent, according to Taylor-Hertz.
Members of the OPP North West Region Crime Unit, under the direction of the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB), are continuing their investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death.
Any person with information regarding these investigations, or on the illegal trafficking of drugs in our area, should immediately contact the Fort Frances OPP at 1-807-274-3322 or toll free at 1-888-310-1122.
Should you wish to remain anonymous, you may call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222- 8477 (TIPS). You can also submit information online at www.tipshelp.com. Being anonymous, you will not be required to testify in court and information you provide may lead to a cash reward of up to $2,000.
Citizens are asked to be on the lookout for signs of an overdose. These can include:
- difficulty
- walking
- talking
- staying awake
- blue lips or nails
- very small pupils
- cold and clammy skin
- dizziness and confusion
- extreme drowsiness
- choking, gurgling or snoring sounds
- slow, weak or no breathing
- inability to wake up, even when shaken or shouted at
If you witness an overdose call 911 immediately.
