A family is seeking answers after a woman was found unresponsive on the roof of a medical center in Waukegan, Illinois, after disappearing from her hospital room. Identified as 28-year-old Chelsea Adolphus, preliminary autopsy findings released on Monday confirmed that she died of hypothermia due to cold exposure.
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Adolphus was admitted to Vista Medical Center around 4 a.m. on Wednesday for an undisclosed medical issue. By 2 a.m. Thursday, she was reported missing from her room, only to be discovered nearly seven hours later on the hospital’s rooftop. According to the Associated Press, staff worked for 14 hours to resuscitate her and raise her body temperature, which had dropped to approximately 50°F (10°C). Despite their efforts, Adolphus was pronounced dead at 11 p.m. An investigation was launched after Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek labeled the circumstances as “unusual.”
Adolphus’ mother, Yolanda, said in a statement to KBTX that her daughter was known as a sweet and friendly woman who helped others. “I’m hurt. I’m sad. The way my daughter went. I want answers. I want them to give me answers to know what happened to my daughter,’ she said.
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“Somebody need to give me what happened to my baby, Chelsea, that is gone, and I will never get back my daughter,”
The autopsy was performed on Friday, with toxicology results still pending. Meanwhile, Kevin M. Spiegel, president and CEO of Vista Health System, emphasized that preserving records is standard procedure and reassured the public that the hospital is cooperating fully with state and local authorities.
“We have reported the incident to state and regulatory agencies, and we are working with local law enforcement to conduct a thorough and unbiased investigation. Our sincere condolences go out to the family during this difficult time.”
It remains unclear how Adolphus managed to access the roof and the hospital cited patient privacy laws to avoid disclosing specific information.