Miami's First Cold Weather Death Confirmed
Cold temps and no heat led to hypothermia for an elderly man
By TODD WRIGHT
Updated 8:01 AM EDT, Wed, Jan 13, 2010
A 77-year-old man died of hypothermia Tuesday in what could be considered the first death in Miami that could be attributed to the record cold weather that has lingered in the city.
Wilfredo Arreyes died at Jackson Memorial Hospital and his roommate Miguel Alemon, 93, is still in critical condition after the two spent days in the frigid cold weather with no heat or covers in their apartment on Northwest 10th Avenue and Northwest 2nd Street in Little Havana.
The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner's Office will do an autopsy to determine if something else may have contributed to the Arreyes' death.
Police and fire rescue officials found the two men inside their apartment huddled together on Friday night. Arreyes was already unconscious and Alemon was semi-conscious, officials said. There was no heat in the apartment and there did not appear to be any covers for the men to get warm.
Temperatures have dipped into the 30s several times over the past two weeks and freeze warnings have been in effect for Miami and other parts of South Florida for a few days now.
Police were notified of the plight of the men by a third roommate, who was out of town and became concerned after he couldn't get his phone calls answered.
First Published: Jan 12, 2010 2:11 PM EDT
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