An 83-year-old Mississippi woman died after a tragic accident left her and her husband trapped outside in extreme heat.
Martha Irene Van Egmond was gardening when she fell in a flowerbed. Her husband, Rick, tried to help her but also fell and couldn’t get up. The couple remained outside for more than three hours as temperatures reached the 90s, with the concrete surface estimated around 125 degrees.
Two nearby residents eventually found them and called for help, but sadly, Martha could not be saved.
Rick remembered his wife as a loving, caring woman who enjoyed gardening, collecting toys, and sharing her Christian faith. The couple had been married for decades and raised seven children together.
After her death, Rick warned others not to underestimate the dangers of extreme heat, saying, “The heat will kill you. The sun is hotter than you think it is.”