A veteran U.S. Capitol police officer suffered a fatally heart attack while shoveling snow outside his home in Delaware on Saturday.
Officer Vernon J. Alston was helping neighbors shovel in their small town of Magnolia near Dover Air Force Base when he came into their home about noon to take a break when he fell ill, according to The Washington Post.
His wife, Nicole Alston, said that her husband went into the garage, screamed her name and collapsed.
Because of the massive snowstorm, emergency workers had to shovel a path to the house. She said a tow truck then had to pull the ambulance so it could reach the street.
Alston was transported to a nearby hospital before being pronounced dead shortly after arriving around 2 p.m.
The 44-year-old had just begun his 19th year with U.S. Capitol Police.
"He was the type of man who wanted to help people," Nicole Alston said. "In his mind, he was a superhero He would help you, but he was modest about it. That's how he lived his life: being an officer allowed him to come to their rescue."
The Capitol Police said in a statement that Alston mostly worked with the House division. Chief Kim Dine described the death as a "tragic loss" for Alston's family and the police force.
Alston was one of several people from the D.C. region who died shoveling snow over the weekend. At least two deaths were reported in Maryland and officials repeatedly warned residents of the stress of shoveling snow.
