An elderly Lowndes County man died of heat exposure over the weekend, according to Lowndes County Coroner Greg Merchant.
About 4 p.m. Friday, Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office deputies, the Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle ambulance service and District 3 volunteer firefighters responded to a home off Davis Road in south Lowndes County after family members found a man in his mobile home and believed he was dead, Merchant said.
Larry Lynn, 73, was pronounced dead on the scene, Merchant said. The death was ruled accidental.
The man lived next door to family members who helped take care of him, and they said he did not use the air conditioner or fans available in the home, Merchant said. The average temperature in the home was 104 degrees at the time of the investigation, he added.
Family members became concerned about him, Merchant said, when he had not come outside all day and his door was closed.
Lynn is the first heat-related death in Lowndes County this year, Merchant said.
Heat stress: Watch for changed behavior
When dealing with high heat, the biggest warning signs of heat exhaustion are behavioral, according to Dr. Robert Buckley, a doctor with Allegro Clinics.
“The biggest thing I would look for is a change in their mental status,” Buckley said. “They’re fainting, they’re very weak, they’re not thinking clearly.”
Simply being sweaty isn’t always a reliable indicator, Buckley said.
“As heat stress progresses, you reach a point where you’re no longer sweating,” Buckley said.
It’s hard to say exactly when someone passes the point of just needing water and a cool place and starts needing medical intervention, Buckley said.
“It’s almost like there’s not a line, and it’s very hard to say when to (call for medical help),” Buckley said. “Always err on the side of being cautious. If somebody’s not acting right, I would call 911.”
Rapid cooling is the most effective strategy if someone is exhibiting signs of heat stress, Buckley said.
“Cool people off with a cool towel, spray them with water with a squirt bottle, anything to cool them down,” Buckley said.
Lowndes County Emergency Management Director Cindy Lawrence said, in the event of an elderly person who doesn’t want to run the AC, the best line of defense may be to have someone come over and stay with them.
“A lot of elderly people won’t turn it on, but this is not the normal heat we are accustomed to,” Lawrence said. “… Somebody needs to stay with them a couple of hours and get the house cool, because they have got to have some air. They can’t survive in these houses with the windows and doors closed up and no ventilation.”
Brian Jones is the local government reporter for Columbus and Lowndes County.
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