Elderly Woman Found Dead In Snowbank
HUNTLEY, Ill. (CBS) -- An 83-year-old woman has died after wandering out into the snow less than a mile from her home in unincorporated Huntley.
It was someone driving along Hemmer Road - near Huntley High School - who saw the woman, Bodil Becker, in a snowbank, says McHenry County Undersheriff Andrew Zinke (zinky).
That was Saturday morning.
"She appeared to be still dressed in her nightgown... and wearing boots.
"We were unable to talk to her. We put a reverse-911 call out to the community to see if anyone would check their homes to see if there were missing elderly."
And Undersheriff Zinke says within a few minutes, the family called the sheriff's office.
He says the woman's family said she'd suffered from dementia. The woman had been living in the Del Webb retirement community nearby.
The temperature overnight - Friday into Saturday - was in the mid-20s.
The coroner's office says an autopsy was inconclusive pending more studies.
Bodil Becker's husband of more than 57 years, John P. Becker, died two years ago.
Zinke says families can use the Care Trak system - where a person who suffers from dementia can wear a transmitter so authorities can be alerted if that person wanders away.
Details are available at the McHenry County Mental Health Board at 815-455-2828.