A tragic incident occurred in Waukegan, Illinois, when a woman was found unresponsive on the roof of Vista Medical Center East. Preliminary findings from Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek revealed that the woman, identified as 28-year-old Chelsea Adolphus, died from hypothermia.
Adolphus, a Waukegan resident, had been missing for nearly seven hours before hospital staff were informed of her location. According to Coroner Banek, Chelsea was admitted to the hospital around 4 a.m. on Wednesday for a medical issue. However, she was reported missing from her room by 2 a.m. the following day.
Her body was discovered at approximately 8:45 a.m. Thursday morning by another hospital patient or a patient’s family member. Chelsea was still wearing her medical gown when found on the roof.
Medical staff immediately brought her to the emergency room and worked tirelessly for 14 hours in an effort to revive and warm her. Despite their efforts, Adolphus’s body temperature was recorded at only 50 degrees Fahrenheit, which was too low for survival.
The coroner’s office was informed of Chelsea’s unusual death later that evening at 11:09 p.m. The final cause of death is yet to be confirmed, as toxicology results are still pending.
The circumstances surrounding how Chelsea ended up on the roof remain unclear. Vista Medical Center East has not released any official statement, and a representative from its parent company, American Healthcare Systems, declined to comment.
This heartbreaking event raises questions about hospital security and patient care procedures. Investigations are ongoing to determine what happened during the hours Chelsea was missing.
