By EMS1 Staff
PORTAGE, Pa. — A mother may have died from drug exposure while cleaning up the aftermath of her son’s fatal overdose, according to a coroner.
Sacramento Bee reported that Theresa Plummer had just returned home from the hospital where her son, Ronald, was being treated after a suspected overdose. She started to clean up the mess he left behind in the bathroom.
Police said Plummer soon had to be transported to the hospital for shortness of breath, and died the next day, followed by her son the day after. Officials said her death was probably caused by exposure to her son’s paraphernalia.
According to the coroner, Plummer most likely had a bad reaction to the paraphernalia or absorbed a substance through her skin.
“This is a caution for safety for anyone coming into contact with any type of powder substance,” Cambria County Coroner Jeff Lees said. “You should use extreme caution and notify the proper authorities.”
Authorities said that a specific drug has not yet been identified, and it will take six to eight weeks for toxicology results.
“My strong advice to any family that may have this happen to them is to call law enforcement to have them or EMS services come back and remove the substance or material that may have been left behind,” Lees said.