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A 51-year-old man was found dead at a warming center in Ellenville after suffering what authorities believe was a medical event while sleeping.
On Saturday (February 1), Ellenville Police Department responded to a call about an unresponsive male at the warming center located in the Hunt Building at approximately 3:00 p.m. Upon arrival, officers determined that Lamont Frink of Ellenville was deceased, according to Mid-Hudson News.
"There is no indication of any foul play. It appears from the investigation that the deceased suffered some sort of significant medical event while he was asleep and passed away peacefully as a result," said Ellenville Police Chief Philip Mattracion.
The Ulster County Medical Examiner's Office was called to the scene, and Frink's body was transported to Health Alliance Hospital for an autopsy to determine the official cause of death. The next of kin were promptly notified of the death.
Chief Mattracion noted that the shelter staff were fully cooperative with the investigation and were visibly upset by the incident. "The coordinators and staff who are running the shelter were fully cooperative, and obviously distraught about the incident," he said.
The warming center, which is operated by 2nda Iglesia La Mision Church of Kingston, is in its second year of operation. According to the Shawangunk Journal, the facility opened on January 24 as temperatures dropped and a winter storm approached. It remains open seven days a week from 5 p.m. to 9 a.m. through the end of March, providing evening and morning meals, cots, and bedding for those in need.
The Ellenville Police Department was assisted at the scene by the New York State Police in Wawarsing, the Ellenville Rescue Squad, and the Ulster County Medical Examiner's Office, Hudson Valley One reported.