Officials: Deaths of 8 people in mid-Michigan linked to snow and cold

Mike Ellis, Lansing State Journal
·2 min read
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At least eight people in mid-Michigan have died since Dec. 22 due to the recent snow and cold, according to a local medical official.

Those deaths were attributed to the Christmas weekend snowstorm by Michelle Fox, chief investigator for the Office of the Medical Examiner for Sparrow Forensic Pathology. The office covers Clinton, Eaton, Ingham, Ionia, Isabella, Livingston, Shiawassee counties.

Among the deaths were three elderly people who were found outside in the snow. All three were rushed to hospitals and died, according to the medical examiner's office. According to the office's annual report for 2021 there were no hypothermia deaths the previous year.

Three others died due to shoveling or snow blowing, those were all cardiac-related deaths, according to the office.

One man died in his car from carbon monoxide poisoning and another was found dead in an unheated garage, according to the office.

Additional information on those deaths, including identifying information about the eight people, was not immediately available Wednesday.

Extreme cold and snow brings obvious risks, as well as some risks that may be overlooked, said Dr. Tressa Gardner, an emergency physician at McLaren Greater Lansing, in a statement.

She said heart disease is common and cold conditions can strain a person's heart, as well as potentially triggering respiratory diseases.

"This is absolutely something anyone with a chronic condition should seriously consider before heading out into the cold to shovel or do anything active," Gardner said. "Take precaution, bundle up — especially noses, ears and all extremities — limit your time outside and avoid any overexertion."

Cold exposure killed 35 people in 2015 in Michigan, according to the Michigan Department of Community Health statistics, carbon monoxide poisoning kills about 400 people a year nationwide.

Carbon monoxide poisoning can be prevented in many cases by using CO2 detectors and properly maintaining fuel-burning appliances like boilers and water heaters, said John Newman, an East Lansing Fire Department inspector, prior to the storm. Cars in garages or otherwise poorly ventilated spaces can also pose carbon monoxide dangers, he said.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Cold, snow blamed for at least 8 mid-Michigan deaths