This winter, 30 people in Cook County have died from cold
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HOMEWOOD, Ill. (Sun-Times Media Wire) - A man who died Friday in south suburban Homewood is Cook County’s 30th cold exposure death since the start of the season.
Timothy Kearney was found at 5:15 a.m. Friday in the 1300 block of Jamie Lane, authorities said. He was pronounced dead shortly after at South Suburban Hospital in Hazel Crest.
An autopsy found Kearney died as a result of alcoholism with cold exposure and heart disease as contributing factors, the medical examiner’s office said Saturday. His death was ruled an accident.
Homewood police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Last fall and winter, 47 deaths were found to be at least partially cold-related between Oct. 1, 2017, and April 1, 2018, according to the medical examine’s office. More than 250 people have died of cold-related causes in Cook County since 2006.