Three people were found dead of suspected overdoses of fentanyl in a residence near Gilroy on Monday and a fourth person was revived by responding Santa Clara County sheriff’s deputies.
Deputies were called to the 10000 block of Garcia Lane at 3:05pm by Cal Fire crews who needed assistance. Four adults were found unresponsive inside and were administered the medication Narcan, which is used to fight the effects of opioid overdose, according to Sgt. Russell Davis.
“Just based on the signs of symptoms when deputies arrived on scene, deputies knew it was a potential overdose,” Davis said.
The person who was revived was taken to a hospital. The investigation is ongoing and the medical examiner will determine the official cause of deaths.
The identity of the victims have not been released pending notification of next of kin.
According to the Drug Enforcement Agency, just two milligrams of fentanyl, or the amount that fits on the tip of a pencil, is considered a potentially deadly dose. Victims can also unknowingly take fentanyl when it’s clandestinely laced in fake prescription pills or other drugs.
There were 154 deaths from overdoses of opioids in Santa Clara County in 2021, according to the California Department of Public Health. Of those, 125 were fentanyl-related, while in 2019, 25 deaths were attributed to fentanyl, an increase of 500 percent.
Copyright © 2023 Bay City News, Inc.
