A third Montreal-area senior has died after being found outside in the cold

A Blainville police patrol car. (Pierre St-Arnaud/The Canadian Press)

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

This is the third such case this week.

The Thérèse-de Blainville Police Department said a 78-year-old man was found near 66 Bouthillier St. in Rosemère, close to the Place Rosemere shopping centre, on Montreal’s North Shore, shortly before 9:30 a.m. on Friday.

The man was sent to hospital where he was pronounced dead. Authorities confirmed his family has been notified.

Chief Inspector Karine Desaulniers confirmed the building near where the man was found is not a private seniors’ residence, but an affordable rental housing complex primarily occupied by seniors.

“However, at that location, there are no additional security measures. The residents are autonomous,” Desaulniers said.

Investigators set up a perimeter in the area to interview witnesses and analyze the scene.

“At this point, it is the autopsy that will truly allow us to determine the cause of the man’s death. What I can say is that, based on what our officers observed, we are able to establish that the individual had been at that location for some time,” the chief Inspector said.

“We are determining whether he may have suffered a medical episode, whether he died as a result of that episode, and what may have happened in the hours leading up to the event.”

Desaulniers added that there was no indication that the man was a victim of a crime and that the death appears to be accidental.

“We understand that this type of incident raises concerns, especially in winter,” she said.

“We want to reassure the public that all measures are being taken to shed light on the facts. Out of respect for the family and the investigation process, no further details will be released at this time.”

On Thursday, an 84-year-old woman died after being found unconscious on a road in Longueuil, on Montreal’s South Shore.

On Monday, an 88-year-old woman was found dead outside a seniors’ home in Laval, north of Montreal. The first two cases are being investigated by the coroner’s office.