Police and the Coroner's office are investigating after the bodies of a man and his son were found at an apartment in Waterloo, Ont. on Thursday.
Edward Sheldon, 40, and Cameron Reeve, who was two and a half years of age, were found dead after emergency services responded to a call at an apartment unit at 130 Lincoln Road around 4:45 p.m.
The preliminary results of a post mortem examination in Hamilton, in conjunction with the ongoing investigation, have determined that the father's death was self-inflicted.
It is believed to be the result of asphyxiation after the inhalation of helium.
Detectives are also attributing the death of the child to the actions of his father, but police are waiting for further test results regarding the cause of death.
Waterloo Regional Police spokesperson Olaf Heinzel says "One of the family members discovered the deceased individuals, contacted police and emergency services and upon arrival we found an adult male and a child without vital signs. The Coroner was called in and the two were pronounced deceased on the scene."
Heinzel adds "Investigators are looking at a very tragic incident in our community, but we are treating it as a family-related matter, as a result investigators are confident there is no risk to general public safety."
The investigation continues, and homicide detectives, divisional detectives, forensic identification officers and the Coroner's office are working together to clarify the circumstances of the deaths.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 519-650-8500 Ext. 8669 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
