A woman in the US died from hypothermia in her backyard while letting her dog out

A woman found dead in her backyard slipped and fell while letting her dog outside and quickly succumbed to hypothermia in a freak winter storm.

A woman in the United States died after slipping and falling in her backyard while letting her dog outside in the midst of harsh winter weather.

Police say the body of Eugenia Michele Wadman, 43, was discovered on January 19 at about 11am in the town of Willard in the state of Ohio.

Local TV news outlet WKYC reported the woman was found dressed only in “light pyjamas”.

Large parts of the US have been hit by extreme winter weather conditions. Picture: AFP

Large parts of the US have been hit by extreme winter conditions. Picture: National Weather Service

The accident occurred at some point on January 18, when the mercury plunged to about -6 C as a cold snap took hold in the country’s mid-west.

Ms Wadman “appeared to have fallen and sustained injuries consistent with struggling and crawling on the snow-and-ice-covered yard”, the Huron County Sheriff’s Office said.

Authorities believe she was immobilised and died from hypothermia. An investigation is underway and an autopsy will be conducted.

Large parts of the US have been hit by extreme winter weather conditions. Picture: AFP

Large parts of the US have been hit by extreme winter weather conditions. Picture: AFP

The freak death isn’t the only one linked to the brutal winter conditions in Ohio.

According to media outlet WCPO, three others have died in January from suspected hypothermia, including an 83-year-old man and a 94-year-old woman.

This latest fatality prompted health officials to issue an urgent warning about the risk of frostbite and hypothermia.

Huron County Public Health urged locals to watch out for warning signs, including confusion, slurred speech, drowsiness, shivering and exhaustion.

The US National Weather Service estimated about 70 million Americans are subjected to a winter storm warning.

New York authorities urged people to stay inside as much as they can and rug up when leaving their homes.

Parts of this story originally appeared in the New York Post and are reproduced with permission.

Originally published as A woman in the US died from hypothermia in her backyard while letting her dog out