An elderly couple in South Carolina was cooked alive in their home last week, according to police reports.
Officers performed a wellness check for 84-year-old Joan Littlejohn and 82-year-old Glennwood Fowler, who were found dead in their bed with no signs of struggle, according to CBS News. Police reports obtained by the outlet show the couple’s heater exceeded 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, resulting in the victim’s bodies surpassing 106 degrees.
Anyone with over 104 degrees needs “immediate cooling and urgent medical attention,” according to the Mayo Clinic said.
Two elderly people in South Carolina were found dead in a bedroom during a wellness check last week, with police saying that the home’s heater had reached 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit – so hot the victims’ bodies had exceeded 106 degrees. https://t.co/P4JRyVrmok
— CBS News (@CBSNews) January 10, 2024
When authorities arrived on the scene, they noticed the residence was abnormally warm, Fox 8 reported. When firemen were finally able to deactivate the heater, they reportedly noticed it measured at over 1,000 degrees.
“They then checked the basement of the residence where the heater and hot water heater were located,” the police report stated, according to CBS. “One firefighter stated the heater was so hot it looked as if the basement was currently on fire.”
Authorities determined there was no foul play involved, CBS reported. Police learned that the last time the couple’s family was over at the residence, they thought it was too cold and ended up “fiddling” with the water heater. (RELATED: Video Shows Good Samaritans Make Dramatic Rescue Of Man From Burning Truck Along Freeway)
Though an investigation is ongoing, authorities have not yet determined why the heater was set so high.