Vt. Man Dies in ‘Drowning Accident' at Home, State’s First Confirmed Death from Historic Flooding
Stephen Davoll, 63, died "as a result of a drowning accident in his home," Vermont officials said
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Stephen DavollA 63-year-old Vermont man who drowned in his home is the first confirmed death related to the state's historic flooding.
The Vermont Department of Health confirmed that Stephen Davoll of Barre City, died "as a result of a drowning accident in his home" on Wednesday, a spokesperson for Vermont Emergency Management said in statement obtained by PEOPLE. The flooding occurred in the home's basement.
"The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner investigated the death, in cooperation with the Barre City Police Department," the statement read. "Vermonters are urged to continue to take extra care during the latest round of storms and as they return to their homes and repair damage."
Davoll was checking the rising water levels on the bottom level of his home on Wednesday when he was found unresponsive, his family told VTDigger.
“It’s a shock, it’s a terrible shock,” said Davoll’s sister-in-law, Barbara Pennell.
Davoll lived with Pennell and his wife, Beverly Frost, about a block away from a tributary of the Winooski River, per the outlet.
Earlier this week, the river had reached its second-highest water level ever, “behind only the historic 1927 flood,” according to the City of Montpelier.
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The Green Mountain state has been dealing with periods of unrelenting rain that first began on Sunday.
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Another round of storms moved through the area on Thursday night, and forecasters predict more rain for the region through at least Sunday, according to the Associated Press.
“We have not seen rainfall like this since Irene,” Gov. Phil Scott said, referring to the tropical storm that hit the state in August 2011, per the AP.
President Joe Biden approved a request “for an emergency declaration covering all 14 counties” in Vermont, Scott said in a Tweet earlier this week.
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