Man on oxygen dies after winter weather knocks out power at SC home, coroner says

A 73-year-old dependent on oxygen died after a winter storm knocked out his power on Christmas Eve, officials said.

The man was trying to get a portable oxygen machine ready when he collapsed in his South Carolina home. Family members later found him dead and called for help, according to the Anderson County coroner’s office.

Relatives made the discovery at about 10 a.m. at a home in the Ashley Downs area, roughly 25 miles southwest of Greenville.

About three hours earlier, winter weather caused the home to lose power, officials said.

“The decedent was oxygen dependent due to his medical condition and was using an oxygen device that is electricity dependent,” the coroner’s office wrote in a news release.

“It appears that after the power went out, the decedent was attempting to prepare his portable oxygen device when he collapsed,” according to information from Don McCown, the chief deputy coroner.

The 73-year-old, who wasn’t named in the news release, died of natural causes due to his underlying medical condition. Winter Storm Elliott was a contributing factor, officials said.

In Anderson County, the storm killed another man when he tried to fix a pipe on Christmas Day. The 91-year-old’s death was determined to be an accident due to “cold environmental exposure,” McClatchy News reported.

Across the nation, at least 65 people have died because of the storm, which brought heavy snow and frigid temperatures to some areas, according to NBC News.

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