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A postal worker died on his route amid a string of extreme heat and humidity in Texas on Tuesday (June 20). The National Association of Letter Carriers said that 66-year-old Eugene Gates, Jr. was walking along his daily route in Dallas when he collapsed in a customer's yard.
Gates' wife, Carla, told KDFW that the homeowner witnessed her husband collapse and rushed out to perform CPR. Gates was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
According to KXAS, the heat index topped out at 115 degrees, which is the hottest it has been since 1980.
While many believe the heat and humidity caused his death, authorities are still waiting for the results of the autopsy to determine why he collapsed and died.
"It's definitely sad, you know," Chase Thomas told KXAS. "This time of year, it can be dangerous being out in the heat in the afternoon."
"This has been also a rather unusual stretch for us here in Dallas with this much humidity," Thomas added. "We're not used to that."
Gates worked as a mail carrier for 36 years.
"On behalf of NALC, I send my deepest sympathies to Brother Gates's family, friends, and colleagues," NALC President Brian L. Renfroe said. "Eugene was a dedicated letter carrier with a long and successful Postal Service career. He will be greatly missed by everyone, particularly his fellow branch members and customers."