Montreal man, 89, suffering from hypothermia after being found outside care home

89-year-old, out in cold

Photo: The Canadian Press

A Montreal police logo is seen on a detention centre in Montreal.

An 89-year-old man was fighting for his life Wednesday after he was found outside a long-term care home in the city's east end, Montreal police said.

The man was discovered around 7:30 a.m. outside the Champlain-Marie-Victorin private long-term care home in the Rivière-des-Prairies — Pointe-aux-Trembles borough. At the time, the temperature was about -17 C outside but felt much colder with the wind chill.

Police believe the man had been in the cold for a few hours. According to authorities, he left the care home through a window, and a staff member found him.

He was transported to hospital where doctors feared for his life. Police did not have an update on his condition on Wednesday afternoon.

Const. Véronique Dubuc said investigators were attempting to determine if criminal negligence was a factor in the case.

Care home owner Groupe Champlain, which operates a number of other seniors homes in the province, said it was collaborating with police and had launched an internal investigation to find out what happened. "This is a very sad and unfortunate event, and we are providing support to the family and staying in touch with them," the company said in a statement.

Sonia Bélanger, the minister responsible for seniors, said what happened was an "unacceptable situation," adding that she asked regional health authorities for an update on the investigation.

“I will follow this situation closely, of course.”

Bélanger said the man was independent and moved freely inside the facility. The doors of the long-term care home were well-secured, she added.

The regional health authority representing the area said it is taking news of the incident very seriously. "We will support our partner to shed light and learn the necessary lessons from this incident that we consider regrettable," the health authority said in a statement.