Woman Dies While Walking Home After Having Drinks at a Neighbor's House as Temperature Plummets to -41 Degrees

A 68-year-old woman in Canada died after drinking with her neighbor Saturday night and failing to get home safely as the temperature plummeted to -41 degrees. The woman, whose name was not released, did not live far from her neighbor in Dawson Creek, B.C., yet died of exposure in the early hours of Sunday morning, police said.

"Investigation determined that the involved female had been visiting a friend next door, at which she had consumed alcohol," a spokesperson with the RCMP said. "She departed around 1 a.m. but unfortunately did not make it back into her home."

She wasn’t discovered until 10:50 a.m. the next morning, when police received a 911 call, the CBC reported.

According to weather records, temperatures dipped down to -41 degrees overnight and an extreme cold warning is in effect for the area. The province is experiencing unseasonably cold weather due to winds from the arctic, the Vancouver Sun reported.

Authorities noted that they do not believe her death is criminal. The woman’s niece, who wished to remain anonymous, told EnergeticCity.ca “the family would like to thank everyone for their condolences.”

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