MANSFIELD, Ohio — An elderly man who was found facedown in his pond on Sunday morning is believed to have died of natural causes, according to Richland County Coroner’s Office Investigator Tom Stortz.
Paul Sweeney, 71, was found by his wife facedown in the pond behind their 774 Garver Road residence on Sunday morning. The Richland County Sheriff’s Office responded to the call early Sunday afternoon.
The Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office found that he suffered from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
“We don’t know how he died but we think it was natural causes,” said Stortz. “The autopsy showed he had a bad heart and bad lungs.”
Stortz said there was no water in Sweeney’s lungs or evidence of foul play.
