61-Year-Old Woman Dies Of Heat Stroke In Hotel Room

Alabama Dothan Doctors say Gayle Moeur's body temperature was 108 degrees. The hotel had air conditioning but it wasn't turned on when she was found.

by The Associated Press

Published: Mon, June 22, 2009 - 12:02 pm CST

DOTHAN, Ala. (AP) - Houston County Coroner Robert Byrd says a
61-year-old woman has died of heatstroke in her hotel room.
Byrd said Gayle Nash Moeur was found unresponsive in her hotel
room Saturday night at Choice Inn by another resident. She was
taken to Southeast Alabama Medical Center where she was pronounced
dead on arrival.
Byrd said a doctor told him her body temperature on arrival was
108 degrees, leading him to conclude the cause of death was
heatstroke. He said a complete toxicology is being done.
He said her room at the hotel had air conditioning, but it
wasn't turned on when she was found.
Temperatures have been in the 90s in the Dothan area.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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carl Says:

Fri, Jul 31, 2009 at 3:47 pm

Amen to the room air-purifiers! I run one at least 8 to 10 hours a night when we go to bed.It helps to sleep better and is healthier for you.They can really pull some contaminants out of the air.Put that air on super cold and turn the purifier on and you can cut some serious ZZs.This lady was too young to be dying in this manner,had to be some other reasons for her death.

minimay87 Says:

Fri, Jul 31, 2009 at 3:20 pm

This is very sad, but I agree that it must be something else besides just heat exhaustion. Possible something that made her feel a little weak so she went inside to lay down for a minute before getting the chance to turn the A/C on. However, even if I was not in the hotel room I would leave it on so it would be cool when I got back. However, that is beside the point. It is just a very sad case. She was not that old either. Older yes, but not old enough to suspect it would just be old age as a factor. I hope the family is ok.

ErinWaters Says:

Fri, Jul 31, 2009 at 2:41 pm

Hotels are obligated to have AC units set on high settings, as higher settings eliminate a lot of harmful indoor air contaminants.

A situation like this is not only bad PR for THAT hotel, but all hotels.

If hotels choose to set their ACS on lower settings to save money, they they should at least invest in room air purifiers.

Air purifiers filter and clean the air (http://www.air-purifier-home.com), which is the only reason ACs are used in excess to begin with.

ErinWaters Says:

Fri, Jul 31, 2009 at 2:40 pm

Hotels are obligated to have AC units set on high settings, as higher settings eliminate a lot of harmful indoor air contaminants.

A situation like this is not only bad PR for THAT hotel, but all hotels.

If hotels choose to set their ACS on lower settings to save money, they they should at least invest in room air purifiers.

Air purifiers filter and clean the air, which is the only reason ACs are used in excess to begin with.

carl Says:

Tue, Jun 23, 2009 at 11:05 am

Must have been some other under lying reason for this death!Yesterday at the highest point in temperature of 100,we found it livable outside in the shade with a small fan blowing and when the kids started showing signs of over heating we would shower them down with a cool spray from the hose and they loved it.A death from heat,if that what it was,doesn’t seem logical seeing she had access to air conditioning in her room.Bless her heart!