LDH confirms winter weather-related deaths in Sabine, Rapides

FISHER, La. -- A Sabine Parish woman is one of two in the state whose deaths are attributed to this week's winter weather blast. The Louisiana Department of Health said the deaths of the 73-year-old woman in Fisher and 36-year-old man in Rapides Parish were due to hypothermia and confirmed by coroners as weather-related. However, Fisher Police Chief Lamar Thomas said he's still waiting on the results of an autopsy that was ordered in Charlotte Belisle's death. Belisle lived at home with her husband and son, who told authorities she had fallen earlier in the day on Tuesday. She was picked up and put into her bed, and the next time they checked on her she was cold, Thomas said. The family's only source of heat during the extreme cold temperatures was a small electric heater, Thomas said. "And it wasn't doing anything. The house was extremely cold," he said. The police department was notified about Belisle's death just after midnight. Thomas said the autopsy will confirm if Belisle's medical condition, the cold temperatures or both contributed to her death. These are the first deaths related to the severe winter weather conditions that began on Sunday and continued through Wednesday.