Calif. Woman Dies After Night Out in Elements
A McKinleyville woman found suffering from hypothermia after spending a night outside died on Monday, according to the Humboldt County Coroner's Office and Arcata Fire Protection District officials.
Juliann Siple, 65, was reported missing Sunday afternoon by her domestic partner, who told authorities she couldn't locate Siple after she was dropped off to walk her dogs on Moonstone Beach in Trinidad.
Siple was found Monday morning west of the Letz Lane parking lot of the Hammond Trail in McKinleyville after officials received a report of an unresponsive person in the ponds.
Arcata Fire Protection District Assistant Chief Justin McDonald said the area where Siple was found used to be where the Mad River ran but that the river bed now has brackish lagoons against a bluff. He said he requested the assistance of the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Humboldt Bay to airlift Siple out, and the Humboldt County Urban Rescue Team was on hand to do a rope rescue in case the Coast Guard couldn't land.
"It was a real ugly situation. We planned for the worst, but luckily, the Coast Guard was able to help us out ... it was probably the most difficult spot for us to get to," McDonald said.
He said firefighters found Siple face up in about four inches of water around 8:30 a.m., but it took about one hour to move her from the location. She was suffering from hypothermia, had shallow breathing and a weak pulse. As fire and ambulance crew personnel were transporting Siple to a helicopter landing zone on Clam Beach, Siple stopped breathing and her pulse couldn't be located, McDonald said.
Crew members began CPR and went with Siple by helicopter to Mad River Community Hospital.
"It was a horrible night to be out," he said.
Siple's domestic partner told authorities she dropped Siple off at Moonstone Beach on Sunday to walk her dogs around 1 p.m. At 2 p.m., the partner returned to the drop-off point to pick up Siple and her two dogs -- "Sadie," an approximately 35-pound sheepdog and a smaller dog with big ears named "Odie." She drove around looking for Siple but could not find her, the sheriff's office said.
When the woman returned home, there was an answering machine message from Siple stating she was walking home. The domestic partner drove to Clam Beach and talked to a campground host who spoke with Siple at 2:30 p.m. Siple was asking for directions to the Hammond Trail. The campground host last saw her walking south on Clam Beach Frontage Road.
Siple's partner reported her missing when it became dark, and a search and rescue effort was launched.
Authorities are still investigating how Siple ended up near Letz Avenue. Her dogs were with her.
National Weather Service meteorologist Brian Garcia said the temperature at the Arcata-Eureka airport reached an overnight low of 29 degrees on Sunday. It was so cold that the National Weather Service issued a hard freeze warning for Del Norte and Humboldt counties.
"This time of the year, it's definitely a little bit below normal," Garcia said.
__________________________________
At a glance:
What is hypothermia?
Hypothermia occurs when a person's body loses heat faster than it can be made, resulting in an abnormally low body temperature. The low temperature can affect the brain and make a person unable to think clearly or move well. Medical attention for hypothermia should be sought immediately. Symptoms include: shivering/exhaustion, confusion/fumbling hands, memory loss/slurred speech and drowsiness.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
___________________________________________
Megan Hansen can be reached at 441-0511 ormhansen@times-standard.com .
Copyright 2008 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy
