Two Sarasota County deaths appear linked to oxygen-machine power failures

A 94-year-old man and an 80-year-old woman were the first reported deaths due to Hurricane Ian, the Sheriff's Office says.

By Observer Staff
| 12:19 p.m. September 30, 2022

By around 9:30 a.m. Friday, FPL reported the restoration of power for 158,000 customers in the two counties. (Photo by Andrew Warfield)

Sarasota
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The deaths of two Sarasota County residents during Hurricane Ian appear to be attributed to power loss to their oxygen machines, a release from the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office reported Friday.

A 94-year-old man in Palmer Ranch and an 80-year-old woman from North Sarasota died since the beginning of storm conditions on Wednesday, the Sheriff’s Office said, without further detail.

About 235,000 customers of Florida Power and Light remain without service in Manatee and Sarasota counties. By around 9:30 a.m. Friday, FPL reported the restoration of power for 158,000 customers in the two counties.

State officials are still working to confirm the deaths of 20 people in Charlotte and Collier counties as storm-connected, along with a fatality in Polk County.