7/23/11 – Columbia County authorities have released the name of the 65-year-old man who died Monday as a result of the recent heat wave. Dennis Langetieg of Fall River was the first state’s confirmed heat-related death. The Columbia County Medical Examiner says Langetieg was assisting a family member with outdoor chores when he collapsed. Autopsy findings indicate Langetieg died from underlying medical conditions and associated extreme temperatures. Meanwhile, the heat wave has claimed a second life. Extreme heat was a factor in the death of an 82-year-old Prairie du Chien woman who died Thursday. Authorities are still investigating the specific circumstances surrounding the death. More than two dozen people have died in the United States during the current heat wave in the Midwest and east coast.
