By Alex Fees
St. Charles County (KSDK) - Officials with the St. Charles County Health Department say an O'Fallon, Missouri man is the county's first heat-related death of the season.
Lawrence Detterman, 64, lived in a mobile home near O'Fallon on Thoroughbred Drive in unincorporated St. Charles County. Medical examiners said Tuesday that Detterman died from hyperthermia.
Detterman was found in his home July 7th; autopsy results have just become available.
He lived alone, and county health officials say he had his air-conditioner removed to cut down on expenses.
Detterman had also turned down an offer from relatives to move into cooler accommodations during this on-going heat.
While Detterman is the county's first heat-related death, health officials say St. Charles County hospitals have reported 53 heat-related illnesses since June. Twenty-nine of those involve St. Charles County residents and 24 involve those from other counties treated at St. Charles County hospitals.
KSDK