Fentanyl may have played a role in two overdose deaths near Brookings last week, though the victims may have ingested it without intending to, the Curry County sheriff told the Wild Rivers Outpost on Wednesday.

A sheriff’s deputy and detective responded to a report of two deceased adults inside a Coverdell Road home at about 11:14 a.m. Thursday. Upon investigation, law enforcement believe the cause of death “was more likely than not a Fentanyl overdose,” a Curry County Sheriff’s Office news release stated Monday.

“Other drugs that are used wouldn’t cause that same effect,” Sheriff John Ward told the Outpost when asked why deputies believed Fentanyl was involved. “We’ve had several other overdoses related to Fentanyl. The bodies will be checked by the medical examiner to find out what exactly they ingested.”

The overdose likely wasn’t caused by pure Fentanyl, Ward said, though the sheriff’s office won’t know exactly what the other substance was until an autopsy is concluded.

Ward said this is the second time his deputies have responded to a double fatal overdose in the last year and a half.

Fentanyl was also the culprit in another double fatal overdose the Brookings Police Department responded to recently, Ward said.

“We just believe it was Fentanyl-related just because it’s prevalent around here right now,” Ward said of the Thursday overdose. “We have a little bit of information for the history of their drug of choice and it wasn’t Fentanyl. We believe it was cut with Fentanyl. And for two people to die in the same period — it was very potent whatever it was that was added their drug of choice.”

According to the sheriff’s news release, simply reusing a bag that had once contained Fentanyl to sell a different substance can cause a fatal overdose. It’s not yet known if that scenario is relevant in Thursday’s overdose, however.

The Sheriff’s Office detective division is hoping to talk with anyone who may have information regarding the overdose. They can be reached at (541) 247-3242 extension 4.

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