Minnesota College Student May Lose Limbs From Sub-Zero Temp

A 19-year old University of Minnesota student faces much more than a hangover after a night of drinking when she was found passed out in sub-zero temperatures and suffering from hypothermia. Alyssa Jo Lommel passed out at a neighbor’s home on the front porch and wasn’t discovered until about 9 hours later, dressed only in a sweatshirt, jeans and snow boots. She was unresponsive due to prolonged exposure to the severe cold. Now doctors may have to amputate her limbs. Temperatures in Minneapolis overnight dipped to 15 degrees below zero.

Officials guess that Lommel could not find her keys to gain access to her own house and stumbled around the property of her neighbor before finally passing out on their front porch stairway. Passersby on their way to finish their Christmas shopping noticed her body and immediately dialed 911 for emergency assistance. By that point, the student’s skin was extremely pale and her hands had already ballooned to triple their normal size.

“It’s very much a wait-and-see thing at the moment,” Lommel’s mother Teri said. “We are hopeful that her body will heal itself.”

She is listed in critical but stable condition at a hospital in nearby St. Paul, where she has already undergone one surgery. The University police department issued an alert warning students not to attempt going out in the severe weather alone.

On The Web:
Minnesota college student could face amputations after spending 9 hours in sub-zero temps after passing out on porch (video)http://blog.al.com/wire/2013/12/minnesota_college_student_coul.html