3rd Montreal-area senior dies this week after being found outdoors in freezing cold

Another senior in the greater Montreal area has died after being found outside in the cold this week.

A 78-year-old man was found Friday morning outside the social housing building where he resided on Montreal’s North Shore.

The Thérèse-de Blainville police service says officers were called to the area shortly before 9:30 a.m. ET, where the man was discovered unconscious near 66 Bouthillier Street — close to the Place Rosemère shopping centre.

Emergency responders transported him to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Chief Insp. Karine Desaulniers said the investigation is ongoing, and it is too early to confirm the cause of death.

“We understand that this type of event raises concerns, particularly during the winter months,” Desaulniers said in a news statement. “We want to reassure the public that all measures are being taken to shed light on the facts.”

Police said they can’t rule out a heart attack or confirm that the person died of exposure.

A security perimeter was set up to allow investigators to examine the scene, but it has since been taken down.

Police are asking anyone with relevant information to contact them.

This marks the third report of a senior dying after being found out in the cold this week.

On Thursday, an 84-year-old woman was found unconscious overnight by a snowplow operator outside a family home in Longueuil, on Montreal's South Shore.

Police say she was lightly dressed and vulnerable. She had reportedly been under family supervision but managed to leave the home. Police said the incident was not criminal.

In Laval, Que., early Monday morning, an 88-year-old woman was found dead outside the Villagia de l’Île Paton residence.

She suffered from a medical condition comparable to dementia, according to her grandson, who said he couldn't believe his grandmother was able to exit the seniors' residence without supervision.

The case has been transferred to the coroner’s office.