Cook County’s 23rd cold-related death reported in Rogers Park

A man who died last week on the North Side is Cook County’s 23rd cold-related death this season.

Paramedics responded about 9:49 p.m. Jan. 17 to the Howard Red Line station, 7519 N. Paulina St., for reports of a person down on the platform, according to Chicago Fire Department officials. Witnesses said the man had been there for 10 minutes.

The 81-year-old was taken to St. Francis Hospital in Evanston, where he was pronounced dead, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

An autopsy found he died of heart disease with cold exposure as a contributing factor, the medical examiner’s office said. His death as ruled an accident.

The first death to be classified as cold-related this season was reported Nov. 1, 2019, in Avondale.

A 58-year-old man was found in the 3600 block of West Belmont Avenue and taken to Community First Medical Center, where he died of heart disease with cold exposure and alcohol poisoning as contributing factors, the medical examiner’s office said.

Last season, 60 cold-related deaths were reported in Cook County between Sept. 14, 2018, and May 23, 2019.