Autopsy results released Thursday evening confirmed the death of a 39-year-old paraplegic man from sebeka was due to hypothermia brought on by exposure to freezing temperatures Tuesday morning.
Sheriff Michael D. Carr said Thursday night that no foul play is suspected in the death of Michael Lee Johnson. Johnson had apparently gone outside in his wheelchair to cool off sometime after midnight but was unable to return to the inside of the house. An investigation found the battery on his motorized wheelchair was dead.
Johnson was still alive when a personal care attendant and his garbage man found him lying in the snow Tuesday morning around 8 a.m. But his core body temperature had fallen well into a danger zone for hypothermia in the lower 70s.
He died later at Tri-County Hospital.
Johnson had no movement in his legs and very limited movement in his arms, Carr said. He had been involved in a car accident, causing the injuries.
ADVERTISEMENT
A funeral service was set for 1 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 22 at Sebeka United Methodist Church. Visitation will be at Wevley Funeral Home from 5-8 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 21.
