Cook County's heat-related death toll at 4
By
Elijah James
Source
A fourth heat-related death has been confirmed by the Cook County medical examiner's office.
The names of three people who died of heat-related causes during the recent surge in high temperatures had been released previously.
The fourth victim has been identified as a 69-year-old male in Evanston. Records show the victim died Wednesday, but the cause of death was not identified until Sunday. His name and other details have not been released, as next of kin had not been notified as of early Monday afternoon.
Chicago police also released additional details on the three victims who have been identified. All died from a variety of health conditions that were complicated by the high temperatures:
Mike Rodriguez, 57, was found unresponsive on Thursday inside a home in the 3200 block of South Archer Avenue. He was transported to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
David Gonzalez, 44, was found unresponsive in a residence in the 2700 block of West 68th Street on Thursday by officers responding to a death investigation. He was transported to Holy Cross Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on Saturday.
Barbara Whigham, 71, was found unresponsive inside a residence in the 1000 block of West 70th Street on Friday. She was transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.
The deaths come after health officials warned that prolonged periods of extreme heat can be especially dangerous for older adults, people with chronic medical conditions and those without reliable access to air conditioning.
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