Two men found dead in sea ranch home, possibly carbon monoxide poisoning

The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday that two men found dead at a Sea Ranch home on Wednesday may have died from carbon monoxide poisoning.

On Wednesday, Dispatch first called around 11:22 a.m. reporting two men dead in a home on the 300 block of Spinnaker Close.

The crew found the men when they arrived to clean up a tree that had fallen on the house, leading early reports of deaths to incorrectly state that they died as a result of the fallen tree.

According to the sheriff’s office, the men were in separate bedrooms, but there was a generator in the hallway.

Sea Ranch is experiencing massive power outages as a result of storms and people are using generators to generate power. The power switch on the generator was turned on, but the fuel tank was empty, the sheriff’s office said.

The identity of the men is still being established.

The final cause of death will be determined by a medical examiner, but the sheriff’s office noted that the generators emit “poisonous” fumes that can cause carbon monoxide poisoning and death. Generators must always operate outdoors and at least 20 feet from any occupied building, according to the sheriff’s office.