Washington County: 69-year-old man dies after snowblowing his driveway

WASHINGTON COUNTY -- The Washington County Sheriff's Office reports a 69-year-old man died after snowblowing his driveway on Monday evening, March 13th.

Deputies responded to the man's home just before 7:00 p.m. They found the victim laying on the driveway. All three deputies started life-saving efforts that included CPR with an automatic defibrillator (AED) hook up. Officials say care was then turned over to more advanced medical personnel as they arrived.

Despite the efforts of all the first responders, the victim was pronounced deceased at a hospital.

Although it is not known at this time if these exact circumstances led to a cardiac event, the Sheriff’s Office reminds individuals that have heart attack risk factors to refrain from strenuous snow removal, and more specifically shoveling. That type of physical exertion can trigger a heart attack. To compound the problem, the cold temperatures also increase the risk because the arteries constrict and thereby increase blood pressure.