Heat wave blamed for death of three

With temperatures hitting more than 100 degrees in various parts of San Mateo County, officials were concerned about the effects on at-risk populations. Coroner Robert Foucrault said emergency responders were on high alert and officials must keep the elderly in mind during extreme weather events.

“We need to be mindful of our aging population, regardless if it’s heat or exposure to cold or just any type of natural causes or abuse they could face,” Foucrault said. “Death under these circumstances is tragic no matter who it is.”

Patrick Henry, a 90-year-old Pacifica resident, died inside his home Saturday around 7:25 p.m. Inland portions of the coastal town hit record highs with temperatures hitting 103 degrees, according to the Weather Service.

Ernesto Demesa, a 79-year-old Daly City man, also died in his home Saturday around 10:50 p.m. from shock due to heat stroke, according to the Coroner’s Office

Both Henry and Demesa lived with family, Foucrault said, adding the symptoms of heat stroke — such as dizziness and nausea — can be difficult to manage once they set in.

Loraine Christiansen, a 95-year-old Millbrae woman, was pronounced dead Sunday, Sept. 3, around 2:45 a.m. She began having heat-related symptoms at a Daly City convalescent home before she was transferred to the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in South San Francisco where she died, according to the Coroner’s Office.

The convalescent home was one of several places additional county resources were sent to over the weekend as the heat put people at risk, Foucrault said.

Temperatures were unusually high in northern parts of the county and San Francisco. A weather station at the San Francisco International Airport on the Bayfront near Millbrae, showed a record high of 104 degrees over the weekend. San Francisco also shattered centuries-old records with 106 degree weather, 3 degrees higher than ever recorded.

Foucrault said San Francisco officials reported at least two heat-related deaths in their county, and he expects the California Office of Emergency Services will seek data in the coming days to track the widespread effects of the extreme temperatures.

County emergency personnel responded to several related calls over the weekend, including to an outdoor art festival in Millbrae as a couple people experienced heat-related symptoms and were treated at the scene by medics, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

People were encouraged to escape the heat as several cooling stations were opened at various city facilities and libraries during the weekend where cold drinks and air conditioning were offered.

Foucrault said fortunately there were no incidents of children being left unattended in vehicles where temperatures can quickly skyrocket in a matter of minutes.

In response to the three heat-related deaths occurring in the northern part of San Mateo County, where temperatures were actually slightly cooler than areas like Redwood City that felt 108 degrees, Foucrault said people aren’t used to the extreme weather. A Daly City native himself, Foucrault said the northern areas of the county are used to a little fog and many homes don’t have air conditioning.

“It’s not a normal temperature for us in the Bay Area at any time of year,” Foucrault said. “I think it was people caught off guard.”

But as the seasons change and winter is coming, he noted it’s important to be mindful of those who are sensitive to inclement weather.

The elderly “is a population that we should be concerned about all the time,” Foucrault said. “We’re going to start getting into the winter months where we do see from time to time exposure to the cold and people who can’t afford heaters.”

samantha@smdailyjournal.com

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