- An elderly Texas couple were found dead in their home during an extreme heat wave.
- The couple were in the process of getting money to get their air conditioning unit fixed.
An elderly Texas couple was found dead in their home during a brutal heat wave this past June. Now, their daughter hopes their deaths will prompt others to take the warning signs of extreme heat seriously.
On June 16, Ramona Ison, 71, and Monway Ison, 72, were found dead along with their dog in their Baytown, Texas, mobile home. The couple had been having issues with their air conditioning unit and sought out repairs but couldn't afford to get it fixed, Roxanna Flood, the couple's daughter, told Insider.
"I think it was about a $1,400 or $1,600 repair," Flood said, "just to hope that it would get running for a little while."
In the aftermath of their deaths, Flood said she hopes her parents' story makes more people aware of the warning signs of extreme heat and reminds everyone to reach out for help when they need it.
"I feel like if it could happen to my parents," Flood said, "then it could happen to anyone."
"I just think the awareness has to get out there of what to look for with the heat, with it just being heat versus heat exhaustion or heat stroke," she added.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, warning signs and symptoms of heat-related illness include headache, dizziness, nausea, confusion, and losing consciousness. The agency said to seek medical help if symptoms last longer than an hour.
Seven people, including Ramona and Monway, have died from extreme heat in Harris County, Texas, in the past few months. A KHOU report said all seven deaths were listed as accidental with a case of hyperthermia.
The week the Isons were found dead, temperatures hit the mid-90s in Baytown, according to Accuweather. The heat has continued through the summer, with highs around 99 degrees Fahrenheit so far in August.
Roxanna Flood said that her parents' AC unit went out on June 12, and the air conditioning company John Moore inspected the unit Tuesday.
But, Flood said, her parents couldn't afford the repair upfront, referencing a copy of an invoice from the AC company that said the couple should call back when they had the money. Flood said Ramona and Monway Ison didn't inform her about the issue and instead bought fans and opted to get a loan to pay for the repair, which Flood said was approved on June 15.
On Friday, June 16, Flood said a neighbor noticed Ramona wasn't out walking her dog and grew concerned, eventually checking up on the couple.
That neighbor, Eddie Phillips, told KTRK: "I banged on the door. No answer. Went over there to the bedroom. Banged on the window. No answer. So that's why I decided to call the police."
Police found Ramona, Monway, and their dog dead inside their home that same day. Flood said that based on what she pieced together from neighbors and the police report, her parents had died after realizing it was too hot to stay inside their home and were potentially preparing to leave.
"I think they thought it was just going to cool off, and they only had to go one more night," Flood said.
According to Flood, both of her parents were accustomed to the heat. "My dad worked outdoors in the heat for over 20 years at the golf course in Baytown, and so he was always outside in all of the elements, and the heat didn't bother him," she said.
But the Isons had health conditions in their later years that affected their mobility and made them sensitive to the heat, Flood said.
Flood also spoke about her parents' strong relationship. "They were high school sweethearts," she said, adding that would've celebrated their 52nd wedding anniversary on July 30th. They were great-grandparents and loved spending time with family.