INDIANAPOLIS — The bitter cold and mountains of snow left behind from this weekend's massive winter storm continue to impact Indianapolis residents.
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Charles Wells lost his 59-year-old daughter, Violet Wells, who he said was found outside after shoveling snow on Monday.
"Cold weather put a stress on her heart" Wells said.
Wells has a warning for others facing similar conditions.
"When it's cold like that, if you ain't used to it, don't get out there and do it — because it's hard on older people," Wells said.
Violet Wells is one of three people whose deaths are now under investigation by the Marion County Coroner's Office. Officials say the cause and manner of death in all three cases remain pending as full forensic evaluations and autopsies continue.
Because of the conditions in which the individuals were found, including dangerously low temperatures and limited or unknown heat sources, coroner Alfie McGinty says cold exposure cannot be ruled out as a contributing factor.
Indianapolis EMS is seeing the strain from the extreme weather conditions across the city.
"We are seeing an increased number of people calling for cold emergencies: people who've had prolonged exposure to the cold," said Dan O'Donnell, chief of Indianapolis EMS.
O'Donnell says extreme cold puts significant stress on the body, especially when paired with physical activity like shoveling snow.
"Cold is a stressor, you know, in any kind of temperature swing, high or low, is gonna be a stressor on your body, and cold certainly is one," O'Donnell said.
First responders say that stress can become dangerous. Indianapolis EMS has responded to at least 66 cold-weather-related emergencies since Friday.
Adam Schumes is the In Your Community reporter for East Side Indy. He joined WRTV in December of 2021. Adam has a passion for telling stories and giving people a voice they might not have had before. Share your story ideas and important issues with Adam by emailing him at adam.schumes@wrtv.com.
