An elderly man passed away last week due to heat stroke while mowing his yard.

Pearl River County Coroner Derek Turnage said the incident took place on July 8 in the Brentwood subdivision.

That day, 88-year-old Harry Epstein of Picayune was cutting his grass when his zero turn mower became entangled in a hose. Turnage said that according to his investigation, when Epstein got down from the mower to untangle the hose, he could not get back up and passed away sometime later that day. Epstein had preexisting medical conditions, and the temperature outside was hot that day, Turnage said.

Family who live out-of-town were unable to contact Epstein, prompting them to stop by his house on July 10, at 7:30 p.m. Turnage said the family found Epstein in the backyard, and called emergency services.

Turnage said his investigation listed Epstein’s cause of death as being due to heat stroke or heat exhaustion due to exposure to the elements.

Turnage would like to remind all residents that while temperatures have been cooler since Hurricane Barry made landfall this weekend, the heat is returning and everyone, especially the elderly, need to take precautions while conducting outdoor tasks.

“It can sneak up on you, and the end result can be traumatic,” Turnage said.