Heat-Related Death Tally Hits 12
CHICAGO (STMW) -- An autopsy on Monday determined a south suburban woman found decomposed on Sunday died in part because of the extreme heat, bringing the number of confirmed heat-related fatalities in Cook County to 12 since extreme temperatures set in last week.
Hellee Sanvorn, 78, of Dixmoor, was pronounced dead at the scene at 1 p.m. on Sunday. An autopsy on Monday found she died of heart disease, with a secondary cause of death listed as heat stress.
It was the same cause of death for South Side resident Sandra Rollins, who was in her 50s and was found decomposed at her home at 1719 E.78th St. on Saturday, according to the medical examiner's office.
An Oak Lawn man, Dee Tribb, 88, of 9550 Campbell Ave., also died Saturday of heart disease and heat stress after being found, decomposed, at his home, a Sunday autopsy determined.
West Side resident Archie Jones, 68, of 3942 W. Monroe, was also found decomposed at his home Saturday, where he was pronounced dead on the scene at 7:30 p.m., according to the medical examiner's office.
Jones died of heart disease-related causes and heat stress, according to the medical examiner's office.
On Saturday, an autopsy determined Uptown resident David Nikuni, 59, of 924 W. Gunnison St., died of heat stroke, according to the medical examiner's office. Nikuni was found at his home and was pronounced dead at 7:24 a.m. Friday at Weiss Memorial Hospital, according to the medical examiner's office.
Meanwhile, autopsies Friday also found that heat was a factor in the deaths of seven others, including Tomas Garay, 58, of 2653 W. Crystal St. in Chicago, who died at 11:50 p.m. Thursday at Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center of heat stroke. He was found at 2724 W. Division St., according to the medical examiner's office.
Far South Side resident Christine Snell, 86, of 10129 S. Rhodes Ave., was pronounced dead at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Advocate Trinity Hospital after suffering from heat at her home, according to the medical examiner's office. Snell died of hypertensive cardiovascular disease but had heat stress, according to the medical examiner's office.
A West Side man, Haywood McCoy, 84, of 1415 S. Pulaski Rd., was pronounced dead at noon Thursday at Northwestern Memorial Hospital after being overheated at his home. McCoy died of heart disease, with a secondary cause listed as heat stress.
Another West-Sider, Greg Wolf, 47, of 1304 S. Kildare Ave., was pronounced dead at his home at 2:05 p.m. Thursday. Wolf died of coronary atherosclerosis, with secondary causes being schizophrenia and heat stress, according to the medical examiner's office.
Hezekiah Williams, 93, a West Side man who lived at 4830 W. Arthington St., also suffered from the heat at his home. The Friday autopsy showed he died of heart disease and heat stress, according to the medical examiner's office.
Daisy Davis, 87, of 6612 S. Carpenter St. was found dead at her South Side home late Thursday or early Friday. The cause of her death was heart disease, with dementia and heat stress, according to the medical examiner's office.
South suburban resident Elizabeth Childs, 87, of 247 W. 155th St. in Calumet City was pronounced dead at 2:45 a.m. Friday at Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey, according to the medical examiner's office.
The primary cause of her death was heart disease with a secondary cause listed as heat stress, according to the medical examiner's office.
A late spring death this year appears to be the first heat-related death of the season.
Henry Olszewski, 85, was found dead in his Matteson home on May 30. An autopsy found he died of coronary atherosclerosis with heart disease and heat stress as secondary causes.
Counting Olszewski, there have been 13 heat-related deaths for the warm-weather season.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2010. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
