Aberdeen Police Save Man from Hypothermia

ABERDEEN, MD – Officers saved a man from hypothermia over the weekend, according to the Aberdeen Police Department.

The man was found in the snow behind his home at approximately 5:08 a.m. on Sunday and after some maneuvering was taken to the hospital, where police reported he was recovering Tuesday.

Officials said they discovered the man while responding to an animal complaint.

When dispatched to a call about an injured animal in the 200 block of East Bel Air Avenue Sunday morning, officers instead heard human cries coming from behind a snow-covered residence.

Upon investigation, they found an older man who had been lying in the snow for several hours, police said.

Officers brought the man into his house and rendered immediate medical care, then used a four-wheel drive vehicle to take him to an ambulance some distance away, police said.

The man was taken by ambulance to Harford Memorial Hospital, where he police said he was listed in stable condition. Aberdeen Police reported the man had been hypothermic when they found him.

Hypothermia can be deadly. It occurs when one’s temperature drops below 95 degrees and the body loses heat faster than it can produce it, leading to potential organ failure. It can be caused by exposure to the cold. Wearing wet clothing draws heat away from the body, increasing the risk, as does not bundling up.

According to the National Weather Service, the low on Sunday was 19 degrees in Aberdeen, after a winter storm dropped a record amount of snowfall in Harford County over the weekend, with up to 30 inches of snow reported in some areas.

While travel conditions were challenging, Aberdeen Police reported being prepared for the conditions, having ramped up staffing, with officers working 12-hour shifts from Friday to Monday, stating: “The Aberdeen Police Department was able to safely and effectively respond to every call for service during this recent snow emergency.”