Hurricane Ian unofficial death toll in Sarasota County could be at least 5 people

Gabriela Szymanowska, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
·1 min read

Officials have reported five deaths related to Hurricane Ian in Sarasota County.

The Florida Medical Examiners Commission confirmed Monday a 62-year-old woman's death was related to Ian in Sarasota County. The woman was found trapped inside her car in the back seat, and her cause of death is listed as probable drowning, the Medical Examiners Commission reported.

The commission reported two other storm-related deaths in Sarasota County were that of elderly men, including a pre-storm death of a 71-year-old man who died from head injuries Tuesday after falling off his roof while putting on shutters.

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An 80-year-old man, with a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, diabetes and who was oxygen-dependent, collapsed in his bathroom after he was unable to use his oxygen pump when the power went out, officials said. His cause of death was listed as being of natural causes.

On Friday, Sarasota County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Kaitlyn Perez said two people in unincorporated Sarasota County died after hurricane-related power outages disabled their oxygen machines. Those victims were a 94-year-old man in the Palmer Ranch area and an 80-year-old woman in north Sarasota, the Sheriff's Office said.

The death toll from Hurricane Ian continues to climb, with media outlets reporting that more than 100 people have been killed. The Medical Examiners Commission's current official count is 68 deaths attributed to Ian as of Monday evening.

Gabriela Szymanowska covers the legal system for the Herald-Tribune in partnership with Report for America. You can support her work with a tax-deductible donation to Report for America. Contact Gabriela Szymanowska at gszymanowska@gannett.com, or on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Hurricane Ian death toll in Sarasota County continues to climb higher