New York

2 New Yorkers Die of Apparent Heart Attacks While Trying to Clear Snow During Nor'easter: Authorities

Police say Tuesday's brutal winter storm claimed the lives of two New Yorkers as they tried to clear snow in front of their homes.

One of the victims, a 47-year-old man, died after suffering a heart attack while shoveling snow outside his Staten Island home as the wind-fueled nor'easter dumped more than a foot of snow on parts of the tri-state area.

Police received a 911 call around 12:30 p.m., authorities said. Paramedics were at the home on Stobe Avenue in Dongan Hills within five minutes and found the man going into cardiac arrest, officials said.

He was taken to a hospital, where he died several hours later.

A 38-year-old man also died Tuesday afternoon after he fell ill while trying to clear snow in front of his home in Wallkill.

Police said Anthony Cantela was snowblowing during the storm when he began to feel unwell and suffer chest pains. He went inside and told his family he was feeling under the weather, then took a shower and went to relax in his bedroom, authorities said.

Officials say Cantela is also believed to have had a heart attack.

The nor'easter dumped more than a foot of snow in some areas Tuesday, creating hazardous travel conditions and suspending or delaying transit service. Nearly 3,000 flights were canceled at the three major airports, creating crowding on hundreds of flights Wednesday.

The powerful storm killed at least five people across the nation, including a 16-year-old girl who crashed on a snowy roadway in New Hampshire and a Department of Public Works employee in Massachusetts, according to reports.

Contact Us