Authorities say a female patient who went missing at Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan has died after she was found unresponsive on the hospital’s rooftop.
A 28-year-old Waukegan woman was admitted to Vista Medical Center East, 1324 North Sheridan Road in Waukegan, on Tuesday for a medical issue.
Lake County Chief Deputy Coroner Steve Newton said the woman went missing at a currently unknown time and date.
She was found on the hospital’s rooftop around 8:45 a.m. Thursday.
Newton said the woman was found unresponsive suffering from cold exposure.
She was brought from the rooftop to the emergency room where staff provided treatment, including warming her body temperature.
The woman was pronounced dead around 11 p.m. Thursday.
Newton said the hospital notified the Lake County Coroner’s Office minutes later but the hospital had not contacted the Waukegan Police Department yet.
The coroner’s office notified the police department, which met the coroner’s office at the hospital to start an investigation.
An autopsy is scheduled for later Friday at the coroner’s office.
The Waukegan Police Department told Lake and McHenry County Scanner that further information would be known following the autopsy.
The incident comes just two weeks after Vista Health System announced it was furloughing 69 workers from Vista Medical Center East due to financial issues.