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Father and son die of apparent CO poisoning in Acushnet

ACUSHNET, Mass. — A father and his nine-year-old son were found dead Wednesday in a home with high carbon monoxide levels in Acushnet.

The boy's mother, and ex-wife of the man, called emergency responders Wednesday after not being able to get a hold of them.

When fire officials arrived on scene, there were high CO levels and it was unsafe to enter the home. Once they were able to enter, they found the father, 41-year-old Joseph Lopes, and son, nine-year-old Collin Lopes, dead. They also found two dogs, one dead and the other very ill.

“The mother couldn't get a hold of them this morning. She reached out, and that's when they found the situation took place,” Bob Tremblay, a friend of Joseph’s, said.

Officials said they believe the two died in their sleep.

“They were found upstairs in the bedroom on the second floor,” Acushnet Police Chief Michael Alves said.

Collin was staying with his father for the night while his two siblings stayed with their mother.

“It's a big, big loss for my family and me,” Timothy Sousa, Joseph’s brother, said.

It's unclear if carbon monoxide detectors in the home were working, and the cause is still under investigation.


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