Retired NYPD Sergeant Dies Shoveling Snow During Northeast Storm

Retired NYPD Sgt. Roger McGovern, 60, collapsed and died Sunday while shoveling snow at Our Lady of Victory Church in Floral Park, Long Island, as a major winter storm pummeled the Northeast. Friends say McGovern had walked about a mile in bitter cold to clear paths for parishioners and was about to start shoveling when he suffered an apparent heart attack; he was later pronounced dead at a hospital. The Sergeants Benevolent Association hailed him as a career public servant who died helping his community even after retirement. New York City officials report eight deaths tied to the storm locally, while at least 36 deaths across 14 states have been attributed to the same system, which dumped 8 to 15 inches of snow on parts of the region. The case highlights how heavy exertion like shoveling in subfreezing conditions can trigger cardiac events, a risk doctors have been warning about on local and national media as this storm’s death toll climbs.