OKLAHOMA CITY — Emergency crews transported eight people to hospitals in Tulsa and Oklahoma City on Monday after soaring temperatures caused heat-related sickness. One man died after being found unconscious at a west Tulsa construction site, though a cause of death was pending autopsy results.
The man was believed to have been homeless and it is suspected he had been drinking alcohol, which can make a person especially susceptible to heat-related illness, said Tina Wells, a spokeswoman for the Emergency Medical Services Authority.
“Alcohol and caffeine are two liquids we need to avoid in this weather because they actually dehydrate you more,” Wells said.
There have been no confirmed heat-related deaths in the heat wave this month and last, said Cherokee Ballard, a spokeswoman for the state Medical Examiner’s office.
A second person also was treated for heat-related symptoms in the Tulsa area Monday, but did not suffer major medical problems.
Also Monday, EMSA transported six people to hospitals in the Oklahoma City area for medical issues related to the heat.
Temperatures in Oklahoma City reached 103, while Tulsa reported 98. It was 105 in Guthrie, while Woodward, Lawton and Ardmore all reached 106.
Those transported to hospitals in the Oklahoma City area included a 57-year-old woman who was in good condition after becoming dehydrated while working outside and a 74-year-old man who was in fair condition after collapsing while mowing his yard.
EMSA has treated and transported 95 people to hospitals because of heat-related illness since June 1, nearly double the number for the same period last year.
State News
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