The recent death of a New Iberia woman has been determined “a tragic accident.”

Cynthia Domingue, 47, was found dead on the morning of Aug. 18 in her residence at 1609 Emily St. by her ex-husband, Brian Domingue. Her body was found lying on the floor, according to the Iberia Parish Coroner’s Office.

A portable generator found inside the residence was determined to have run out of gas, and Iberia Parish Coroner Dr. James Falterman has ruled the cause of her death to be carbon monoxide poisoning and the manner of her death to be accidental.

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“We had our suspicions and we had to go through a very careful forensic examination,” Falterman said.

Falterman said the tragedy demonstrates how homeowners need to use extreme caution in the use of portable generators inside homes. Specifically, even though the generator had run out of gas before the victim was found, the damage had been done.

“This is an example of the danger of using a portable generator in a closed-in area,” Falterman said. “This is one of the more tragic accidental deaths in our community.”