NOWCAST KSBW Action News 8 Sunrise at 6 am
Live Now
Advertisement

93-year-old veteran on oxygen dies in his Pennsylvania home during 21-hour power outage, family says
Bob Mayo
Reporter
93-year-old veteran on oxygen dies in his Pennsylvania home during 21-hour power outage, family says
HIS FAMILY DEMANDS ANSWERS. >> TOM IS A KOREANAR W VETERAN WHO LIVED HERE IN HIS GARFIELD HOME FOR MORE THAN 60 YEARS. DURING THE OUTAG HE,IS OXYGEN SYSTEMS FAILED HERE AND HIS FAMILY IS ASKING HOW HIS HOME COULD BE WITHOUT POWER FOR SO LONG. >> REALIZE THAT THIS WAS UNCALLED FOR. WHY WOULD POWER BE OFF FOR THAT NYMA HOURS? >> 93-YEAR-OLD THOMAS LIVED INDEPENDENTLY, EVEN ILWHE RELYING ON OXYGEN. HIS DAUGTHER JANET ZRELIAK VISITED SUNDAY AFTERNOON UNTIL 5. WORRIED WHEN HE DIDN’T PICK UP THE PHONE MONDAY, SHE REHEACD A NEIGHBOR WHO SAID POWER HAD BEEN OFF ON HIS STREET FOR 21 HOURS. >> WHEN HE TOLD ME HOW LONG IT HAD BEEN OUT, I THOUGHT OH MY GOD. I CAME FLYING DOWN HERE. >> SHE ARRIVED TO DISCOVER HER FATHER DEAD. >> I WALKED IN THE LIVING ROOM AND MY DAD WAS JUST SLUMPED OVER. OXYGEN WAS HANGING OUT OF HIS NOSE AND I JUST SCREAMED AND I GRABBED HIM AND HE WAS SO COLD. >> WITH NO POWER, HIS MAIN OXYGEN SYSTEM, AND THEN HIS PORTABLENI UT, HAD BOTH FAILED. HIS LANDLINE AND CELL PHONES WERE BOTH WITHOUT POWER DUE TO THE OUTAGE. >> I WOULD LIKE AN ANSWER FROM DUQUESNE LIGHT AS TO WHY SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAS TO HAPPEN. THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH HIM. THERE WAS NO REASON FOR HIM TO DIE. >> THEY TELL US. IN GARFIELD, BOB MAY
Advertisement
93-year-old veteran on oxygen dies in his Pennsylvania home during 21-hour power outage, family says
Bob Mayo
Reporter
Tom Raith, a 93-year-old Korean War veteran, still lived independently in his Pittsburgh home where he's lived for more than 60 years.Raith still drove and prepared his own meals, too.But his family says he died during the power outage when his oxygen equipment lost electricity."This was uncalled for. Why would power be off for that many hours?" Raith's daughter Janet Zreliak told Pittsburgh sister station WTAE.Zreliak visited her father Sunday afternoon until 5 p.m. and they spoke daily. She was worried when he didn't pick up the phone Monday.She reached a neighbor who said power had been off on her father's street for 21 hours."When he told me for how long it was out, I thought, 'Oh my God,' so I came flying down here," Zreliak said.She arrived to discover her father dead."I walk in the living room. My dad's just slumped over, like on his pillow. And his oxygen was hanging out of his nose. And I just screamed. I grabbed him and it was so cold," Zreliak said.With no power, his main oxygen system and then his portable oxygen unit had both failed. His landline and cell phones were both without power due to the outage."I would like an answer from Duquesne Light as to why something like this has to happen. Because my dad, there was nothing wrong with him that he would not — there was no reason for him to die," Zreliak said.Duquesne Light responded to WTAE's request for comment."While we have not been contacted by the Raith family, our hearts go out to them during this difficult time. Sunday's storm was the most severe storm we've experienced this year. It left widespread damage across our service territory, and the additional storm on Monday evening impacted our restoration efforts," wrote Hollie Geitner, director of communications, Duquesne Light Company via email."More than 250 lineworkers and field crews have been working around the clock to restore power to 20,000 people and their work will continue through this evening to restore power to the remaining 2,000 customers."Watch the video above to learn more about this story.
PITTSBURGH —

Tom Raith, a 93-year-old Korean War veteran, still lived independently in his Pittsburgh home where he's lived for more than 60 years.

Advertisement

Raith still drove and prepared his own meals, too.

But his family says he died during the power outage when his oxygen equipment lost electricity.

"This was uncalled for. Why would power be off for that many hours?" Raith's daughter Janet Zreliak told Pittsburgh sister station WTAE.

Zreliak visited her father Sunday afternoon until 5 p.m. and they spoke daily. She was worried when he didn't pick up the phone Monday.

She reached a neighbor who said power had been off on her father's street for 21 hours.

"When he told me for how long it was out, I thought, 'Oh my God,' so I came flying down here," Zreliak said.

She arrived to discover her father dead.

"I walk in the living room. My dad's just slumped over, like on his pillow. And his oxygen was hanging out of his nose. And I just screamed. I grabbed him and it was so cold," Zreliak said.

With no power, his main oxygen system and then his portable oxygen unit had both failed. His landline and cell phones were both without power due to the outage.

"I would like an answer from Duquesne Light as to why something like this has to happen. Because my dad, there was nothing wrong with him that he would not — there was no reason for him to die," Zreliak said.

Duquesne Light responded to WTAE's request for comment.

"While we have not been contacted by the Raith family, our hearts go out to them during this difficult time. Sunday's storm was the most severe storm we've experienced this year. It left widespread damage across our service territory, and the additional storm on Monday evening impacted our restoration efforts," wrote Hollie Geitner, director of communications, Duquesne Light Company via email.

"More than 250 lineworkers and field crews have been working around the clock to restore power to 20,000 people and their work will continue through this evening to restore power to the remaining 2,000 customers."

Watch the video above to learn more about this story.