VICKSBURG — A Mississippi woman who slipped and fell as she walked outside her home, ultimately died likely from prolonged exposure to freezing temperatures, authorities said.
Pearl Deckard, 66, of Vicksburg, fell around 1 a.m. Sunday but was not found for hours, The Vicksburg Post reported. The temperatures Sunday were recorded below freezing.
The sheriff’s office said deputies responded to a call from a trailer park about someone crying in distress. They searched the area but could not find anyone. There were plans to expand the search at daylight but deputies got another call about 4 a.m. that a man had found his wife unconscious in the backyard of their home, a half-mile from the trailer park, the sheriff’s office said.
Deckard was transported to Merit Health River Region, where she was pronounced dead, the Warren County Sheriff’s Office said.
Deckard was a longtime employee of Super Junior, a convenience store.
“She was a blessing to our family,” Super Junior owner Jay Tidwell said. “She started with me close to 30 years ago. At the time she was a cashier; we probably had seven employees total.”
Deckard had a great way of working with people and dealing with people, customers and employees, Tidwell said.
“I think her biggest attribute was being trustworthy, dependable,” he said. “She just knew how to deal with people — customers and employees to keep them happy. She is going to be missed.”
Funeral arrangements are incomplete.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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