Heat Stroke May Have Caused Aurora Man To Fall Into Fox River

AURORA, IL --- An Aurora man who died after he fell into the Fox River may have suffered heat stroke before the fall. North Aurora Police say Edward Poe, 39, had an "unknown medical event" at the time of the May 27 incident, Chicago Tribune reports.

Poe had been hiking a trail near the river with a friend when he fell into the river just after 5 p.m., according to Chicago Tribune Poe's body was found in the Fox River near the North Aurora dam, police say. He died shortly after.

At the time of Poe's fall, temperatures had soared into the mid-90s, which can be deadly for people with certain medical conditions.

The Kane County Coroner performed an autopsy, but Poe's preliminary cause of death is as yet undetermined.

Poe's unexpected death has left his family struggling to fund his funeral. As a result, his mother, Evelyn, started a GoFundMe to help raise money for Edward's burial.

In her post, she writes, "This has left everyone that new and loved him devastated and our hearts are breaking." She adds, "Edward has left a big hole in our hearts that will never be filled."

So far, the family has reached $885 of its $8,000 goal. To donate to Edward's cause, visit the Burial Cost for Edward Poe page on GoFundMe.

Related: Coroner IDs Man Found In Fox River

Image via GoFundMe; GoFundMe is a Patch partner

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