A Virginia man died in the cold sometime Saturday night while trying to get help for his injured mom, who also died.
Spotsylvania County police believe Douglas Cox, 60, ran from his home to get help for his 84-year-old mother after she fell down the back steps outside the residence, CBS 6 reported. But Cox suffered a "medical emergency" and died on a path leading from the home to a neighbor's house.
A neighbor found his body on the trail at around 8 a.m. the next morning. His mother, Viola Cox, was also found dead near the steps. Temperatures in the area plummeted to about 10 degrees that night.
The mother and son were outside "for some time," police said.
"This is a tragic set of circumstances that led to a very terrible ending for both people," Captain Jeff Pearce, of the Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office, told CBS 6. "There was no forced entry into the house and no signs of trauma or violence to the victims."
A Richmond medical examiner will determine an official cause of death for both victims as police continue the investigation.
