A man was found frozen to death on his 56th birthday in Buffalo as the region was hit hard by a blizzard and freezing temperatures on Christmas Eve.
• Read also: Cold, snow and blizzard: Christmas winter storm kills at least 22 in the United States
• Read also: Roads Impassable, National Guard Deployed: Historic Blizzard Paralyzes Buffalo
A gruesome video has been circulating on social media for some time, showing a man lying on the ground in the middle of a snowy street in Buffalo, in western New York.
Authorities have confirmed the man’s death, without specifying his identity, a local NBC affiliate reported.
However, the sister of William Clay, the victim, confirmed that her brother had been missing for a few hours and regularly frequented a convenience store near where he was found frozen to death.
A page GoFundMe was created by his family to help cover the costs related to the funeral home.
On this page, Sophie Clay, his sister, says she is appalled by the announcement of William’s death.
“I am the sister of this man who lost his life during the blizzard of December 24, 2022. My brother tragically lost his life on his birthday,” she said.
An autopsy of William Clay’s body will take place in the coming days to determine the exact cause of death.
By early afternoon, city officials confirmed that eight people had died in Erie County due to dire weather conditions. The toll is likely to increase, said the county official.
The city’s airport plans to reopen to passengers on December 26 at 11 a.m.
