Deadly Heat Wave: Pierce Medical Examiner Ids Final Victims

PUYALLUP, WA — The Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office has now released the names of all 23 Pierce County residents who died due to the record-breaking heat wave late last month.

Last week, the medical examiner's office confirmed that 23 Pierce residents had been killed by the triple-digit heat, but only identified 20 of the victims.

The remaining three have been named as:

• Alan L. Brecher, age 65, of Lakewood
  
• Jeffrey Fred Whittier, age 61, Puyallup
• Jason Nixon, age 47, who had no fixed address

According to the medical examiner's office, the names were delayed so that officials could notify the three victim's next of kin.

The latest update from the Washington State Department of Health shows at least 112 Washingtonians were killed by the record-breaking heat wave last month. The bulk lived in Pierce and King counties, though 21 of Washington's 39 counties reported at least one death.

Washington's hospitals also logged more than 2,000 heat-related emergency room visits between June 25 and July 1, and the true number that may be even higher considering five percent of hospitals do not give data to the DOH, and the data does not include Washingtonians who sought care out of state or at the VA or military hospitals.