Snow Takes Out A Good Man
Posted by Mitch Mitchell on Feb 14, 2007
The warning we always get from our local news channels came true for a acquaintance of mine today. I got word from the daughter of this acquaintance that he passed away today, suffering a critical heart attack while shoveling snow in his driveway.
He was about 3 years older than me, but I've known him for maybe 10 years. I didn't see him often, maybe once a year if lucky at a conference, but we were both presidents of our local organizations at the same time, so there was a period where I saw him at least 3 times a year. But he was one of those guys who was always willing to share information, and on an organizational list serve he was a willing and regular participant.
Unfortunately, he was also heavier than me, and out of shape, and snow is much heavier than many people believe it to be. It gets a lot of people each year, as many folks get out there without any real preparation for it, and that's all it takes.
I don't want to hear of anyone else falling to this. If you must shovel snow, don't lift too much, and don't shovel for too long. I wish this upon no one.
A couple of years ago when my snow blower was on the blink — and before I hired this angelic fellow with the snow plow — I was moving some snow about my yard; didn’t think it was particularly heavy and suddenly I felt the muscles in my chest start to constrict, like they were about to cramp, and they were cramping around my heart. My heart wasn’t hurting, but the muscles in my chest began to constrict, and I because quite un nerved, and said to myself, “this is how people have heart attacks” when shoveling snow. Before the concept was just they got tired of the heart gave out, but I didn’t really understand the exertion until that time and, of course, I’ve been careful ever since. Even though I consider myself to be in good shape, I don’t consider myself to be in good enough shape upper body wise to do excessive snow shoveling, but it *is* more work than it “appears” to be.
I am sorry for the loss of your friend. It seems pointless to lose a friend over something so seemingly mundane and shoveling snow, but the snow beast is more insidious then we realize. I hope your message is heard — and mine, for that matter.
I’m sorry to hear about your friend. That’s a shame, and it’s scary! I stayed in ALL day today out of the storm that hit my area and it’s still horrifically windy.
My daughter wanted to go outside, but I wasn’t about to do that and freeze my tookus off, that’s for sure.
I agree, be careful!