FARGO - A man who apparently had been shoveling snow was found unresponsive on the roof of a Fargo home Wednesday afternoon.
The man, whose name and age were not released, was taken by ambulance to Innovis Health. His condition wasn't known.
A mail carrier spotted the man on the roof at 405 Elmwood Ave. at about 2:30 p.m. and told a resident across the street to call 911, said Don Martin, field supervisor for F-M Ambulance.
Firefighters and emergency medical workers tried to resuscitate the man on the first-story roof, which slants slightly over an enclosed porch. Police said a shovel was found on the roof with the man.
Crews used a rope attached to a stretcher to lower the man down an extension ladder.
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The house has a higher peaked roof section, but there didn't appear to be any footprints on it.
"We don't know how far he was up. He may have just collapsed, or he may have just fallen down. That's all speculation right now," Martin said.
Martin said emergency crews respond at least once per winter to someone collapsing from a heart attack or other type of stroke while clearing snow off the roof, often after a snowstorm.
"A lot of people just don't know what their limits are or what type of health they are in and try and do a little bit more after a certain age," he said.
People over age 35 are more susceptible to heart attacks and strokes and should monitor themselves more closely, he said.
