Cold injuries AKA Frozen 2017
Man freezes to death in home near Cody after snowstorm
Updated Jan 4, 2017
Authorities say a man found dead in his home near Cody last month froze to death after a snowstorm.
The body of 69-year-old Larry Joe Sperry was found by two neighbors on Dec. 17, when the temperature was -9 degrees. They went to check on Sperry when they didn’t see any smoke coming from his chimney.
The Park County Sheriff Office says neighbors had brought Sperry extra food, water and firewood in the days before his death. They told investigators that he seemed coherent but the house was very cold. He reportedly said he planned to wait to start a fire in his woodstove, the home’s only heat source, when it got colder. The original article is at http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/man-freezes-to-death-in-home-near-cody-after-snowstorm/article_e0b7aaf8-d76a-506e-af4b-7909189e431c.html
I first heard this story on the local radio station and it got me to thinking of similar cases that I worked when I was in emergency medicine years ago.
Acute hypothermia can set in VERY fast as a few hours OR if you are wet it can hit you as fast as several minutes.
Most people think that in order to freeze to death it has to be sub zero temperatures which IS often the case. You are more likely to suffer from hypothermia when it is warming up outside and is in the 50 to mid 60s. Here in Wyoming those temperatures are warm enough that we don’t need a coat and are most likely active there could be a light breeze. As your core temperature drops you lose the ability to think rationally. Trust the people with you to spot this before you do.
There is a less well known condition “chronic hypothermia” often seen in older folks, the way this works is that it may feel warm in the house to a younger healthy person but the older person is losing body heat faster than they can regenerate it… at first they appear “normal” yet they are slowly slipping toward death. At some point they tip over the edge of no return. Once the person hits that they are going to die unless someone intervenes and actively rewarms them.
From the limited amount of information available in the news reports is sounds as IF this may have contributed to this man’s death.
How to prevent hypothermia, dress for the conditions to include a hat as you lose 25 -30% of your body heat from your head. Dress in layers BUT avoid over heating as being wet makes you lose heat faster. Stay fueled – eat right – so that your body can generate body heat. Here is the hard part – stay well hydrated… drink more water.
Most likely you will not feel thirsty and you do need more than you think. See fluid / re-hydration drink links..
http://www.preparesurvivethrive.us/re-hydration-drink/
http://www.preparesurvivethrive.us/fluid-electrolyte-balance/
today the high was 4 degrees F and as I type this it is already -10 degrees F and projected to be colder than -20 degrees F tonight.
stay safe and warm.