Fatal Carbon Monoxide Incident in Regina Apartment Building
A resident in a Regina apartment complex reports that his carbon monoxide detector activated hours before an 11-year-old boy succumbed to poisoning in the same building. The incident occurred at the Metro 1827 building on Albert Street on December 19.
The resident contacted maintenance staff in the early afternoon when the alarm beeped. Staff advised him to open a window and use a fan. A maintenance worker investigated but attributed the alert to possible outdoor smoking, instructing further ventilation. Hours later, Henry Losco, 11, died from carbon monoxide exposure in his fourth-floor unit.
Henry Losco’s Final Hours
Henry’s father, Sergio Losco, states his son felt ill earlier that day and went to bed. He never awoke. Henry’s mother, Marina Hills, describes the devastation: “I’m not the same person I was before my son died. Not having him a part of this world anymore, I don’t think I’m ever going to be able to accept it, because he was a child and children aren’t supposed to die.”
The family had moved from Newfoundland just 18 days prior. Sergio recalls Henry complaining of light-headedness before lying down. When Sergio checked shortly after, Henry appeared asleep with rosy cheeks. Sergio prepared Tylenol but lost consciousness near the kitchen sink, waking in the hospital. Marina informed him of Henry’s death, which “just broke me,” Sergio says.
Neighbor Rushes to Help
Heather Njaa, a health-care worker in the building, heard screams around 8 p.m. and rushed to assist. She found Marina Hills attempting to revive the ashen, stiff boy and called 911. Njaa performed CPR until paramedics arrived, noting a smell of vomit. Days later, she learned Henry had not survived.
“It’s just so horrible that that happened,” Njaa says. “It’s just something that was preventable, because when I was running throughout the entire building I heard no alarm … nothing going off.”
Demands for Accountability
Njaa emailed management repeatedly, questioning why most detectors failed to activate and urging installation in every unit. Management replied weeks later, stating detectors were in “needy places” and offering a discussion with owner Mark Frentz.
In a recorded January 27 conversation, Frentz explains two new boilers were installed in summer 2023 and commissioned December 18 by the Technical Safety Authority of Saskatchewan (TSASK). TSASK confirmed the boilers met specifications that day.
Frentz reveals an internal explosion in one boiler the next day damaged the venting stack, releasing carbon monoxide into the building. He arrived around 8 p.m. during evacuation and consulted fire inspectors on extra precautions, including detectors per room. The inspector reportedly said it was not required.
Regina Fire Chief Layne Jackson announced January 30 that a “critical failure in a boiler” caused the leak. A multi-agency probe, including TSASK, continues. Jackson withheld details on code compliance or additional measures.
Tenants Act on Safety Fears
Susan Wasylyshyn, on the third floor, suffered symptoms like seeing stars and memory gaps on December 19; her cats also fell ill, later confirmed as CO exposure by a vet. Her unit’s detector never activated, and maintenance did not check it.
Wasylyshyn bought three detectors for her home. Saskatchewan mandates CO alarms in multi-unit buildings but not every apartment.
Call to Prevent Future Tragedies
Marina Hills has not returned to the unit, cherishing Henry’s soccer medals and jerseys. The bright, empathetic boy dreamed of Olympic soccer. “He wanted another adventure and we did this,” she recalls of their move.
Henry’s parents share their story to avert similar losses. “I never want to hear of a family, a mother, losing her child the way I did,” Hills declares.
