2 Officers Fall Ill While Responding To Irvine Burglary Call
IRVINE (CBSLA.com) — Two police officers became dizzy while investigating a possible burglary in an Irvine home Tuesday, but the suspicious substance that might have triggered the symptoms was determined to be harmless, police said.
A resident dialed 911 from a cell phone, which drew officers in response to a possible crime in the 40 block of Garden Path at about midnight, Irvine police spokeswoman Kim Mohr said.
"When they got there the resident said he believed someone broke into his home so officers went in to investigate," Mohr said.
While in the home the officers felt dizzy, so officials called the Orange County Fire Authority's hazardous materials team to investigate a suspicious substance.
The substance turned out to be just chalk and calcium sulfate.
The owner of the home, a mountaineer who has climbed Mt. Everest, told officers he uses those substances to deplete oxygen in a room as part of his training for high-altitude expeditions.
The exact cause of the officers' symptoms was not clear, Mohr said. The officers were treated and released from the hospital.
No civilian injuries were reported and information about arrests was not immediately available.
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