05 August 2023 , 22:05
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An elderly couple and their dog tragically died amid the scorching excessive heatwave after the air conditioning system at their home broke down and they couldn't afford to have it fixed.
Great-grandparents Ramona and Monway Ison were found dead inside their mobile home in Baytown, Texas, along with their pet dog on Friday, June 16. Their deaths occurred after their home's air conditioning system broke down amid the United States' searing and deadly ongoing heatwave. The couple reportedly didn't tell anyone about the problem they were facing and refused to accept help from a friendly neighbour.
Their air conditioning system had broken down four days ago, on June 12, according to their heartbroken daughter, Roxana Floods, who tried to raise awareness about how excessive heat can cost the lives of unfortunate people.
The couple didn't ask for help and passed away at their home (ABC 13)The couple's tragic passing reportedly was among seven deaths related to the extremely high temperatures that were recorded in Harris County since June.
Ramona and Monway were high school sweethearts and have been together for most of their lives. Had they survived, they would be celebrating their 52nd anniversary this week.
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Ms Floods, the grieving daughter, told ABC13: "They kind of never had to spend the day apart." She added that the deaths of her parents "[Have] been devastating to our family. The heat, it's just not a joke," Floods said.
Heartbroken Roxana Floods (ABC 13)According to Ms Floods, on Thursday, June 15, the couple reportedly secured a loan. They called and scheduled the repairs for Friday. Floods said her mother used some of the money to purchase fans. The couple was used to working in the heat and grew up without air conditioning, Ms Floods said, adding, "I think they thought that it would be OK."
She continued: "They were gathering their things to leave. The way that they were found, I think they decided that it was too hot and it was time to go and it was just too late. I've read about how disorienting the heat can be at that point, how exhausted you can feel, what to watch out for, and I don't really think they knew what to watch out for."
Her daughter said they were used to living and working in the heat (ABC 13)She hopes her parents' story will help prevent more heat-related deaths. "Everybody that I talk to, I tell them to tell their parents, 'Don't be too proud to ask for help,'" she said.
A neighbour of the couple, Eddie Phillips, said they were always looking out for others. Phillips does not have a car, so Ramona Ison often drove him to medical appointments. He was eager to help the couple in turn. He offered to have them stay in his home. When they declined, he offered up a portable air-conditioning unit. "They wouldn't take it," he explained.
Floods said her father had mobility issues. She believes it made them apprehensive to leave the home. "I think that played a part. That they just felt that they may have been a burden," the couple's granddaughter, Alexandra Seeser, said.