Police officers taken to hospital after cyanide exposure

A man is dead and two police officers and a woman at the scene were taken to hospital as a precaution after being exposed to cyanide when pulling the man out of a car south of Auckland last night.

The officers were called to a scene in Karaka and to a car with an elderly man inside.

They pulled him out and found he was dead. He was covered by powdered cyanide and fire and ambulance staff advised the officers to get themselves checked for poisoning at Middlemore Hospital. They were released late last night.

Inspector Andrew Coster of Counties-Manukau Police said the officers had reason to suspect cyanide may have been involved but they chose to open the door and pull the man out.

"They didn't know that he was dead at that stage and while there was a chance of reviving him they decided to pull him out of the car," Mr Coster said.

Normal practice would be to use gloves and protective equipment but when lives could be at stake and time of the essence it was a commendable decision for the officers to try to pull the man out, he said.

There were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the man's death.

- NZPA