43-Year-Old Woman Dies of Suspected Hypothermia After Falling While Taking Her Dog Outside in Pajamas

Mar. 15, 2025

Person walking a dog in winter (stock image).Photo:Getty

Getty

An Ohio woman was found dead in her yard — and officials believe that the wintry conditions may have contributed.

Deputies responded to a 911 call about an unresponsive person at a home in Willard just after 11 a.m. local time, and they found Wadman dead in the yard after arriving on the scene, per the outlets.

Deputies said that the temperatures outdoors in the Willard area had been around 20 degrees at the time, and with the light clothing Wadman was wearing, hypothermia likely set in as she struggled to get up.

Foul play is not suspected, but medical conditions may have contributed to the incident, police said, per theNorwalk Reflector.

The Huron County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident and the Lucas County Medical Examiner is conducting an autopsy, the outlets reported.

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The sheriff’s office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on the incident on Saturday, Jan. 25.

Wadman isn’t the only individual whose death is suspected to have been linked to the recent freezing cold temperatures that have hit the Midwest.

Three others — a man in Norwood, Ohio, an 83-year-old man in Cincinnati and a 94-year-old woman from Franklin, Ohio — were found dead from suspected hypothermia earlier this month, according toWCPO.

Due to the freezing temperatures, several local health departments in the area have issued newsletters detailing the differences between frostbite and hypothermia. The Huron County Public Health shared onFacebookon Jan. 22 that hypothermia symptoms to watch out for include “shivering,” “exhaustion,” “confusion,” “memory loss,” “slurred speech” and “drowsiness.”

UC Medical Center emergency doctor Robert Thomas told WCPO: “If you’re having skin-like color changes — your skin is turning black, purple, blue and gray, that would also be a reason to seek medical attention. Or if you’re with someone that’s been out in the cold and they’re kind of more confused or sleepy than normal or they are complaining of a bad headache and that’s something atypical for them.”

source: people.com