Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, May 9: People who have drinks regularly and live alone need to be very careful. Because, such a lifestyle can pose danger to their lives. This notion has further been strengthened by the recent death of Prescilla Serrao (60), living alone at Amrit Nagar, Tiruvail, Vamanjur in the city. The senior citizen was unaccompanied.

Prescilla stayed alone in her house at Amrit Nagar, while her husband, Albert Serrao, who stays in his elder son's house at Derebail, visited her once in two or three days. Albert had met his wife at Amrit Nagar on April 30. He returned to visit her on May 5 morning and found the door of the house wide open. He went in and tried to wake up his wife who was found asleep. But she remained unmoved. He then called the neighbours for help. They found that Prescilla was no more.

Some people living in the vicinity said they had seen Prescilla sitting outside her home on May 3. The next time they got see only her mortal remains on May 5. In all likelihood, she would have breathed her last on the night of May 4, it is being thought.

The couple's children, both of them sons, are employed in foreign countries. Prescilla and Albert live in the city. Albert has been supervising the construction of a house undertaken by his elder son at Derebail. Therefore, he mostly stayed at Derebail and occasionally visited his wife in a gap of three to four days.

Prima facie the doctors have expressed the opinion that Prescilla died due to dehydration. It is said that she used to have drinks. The doctors point out that people who consume high quantity of liquor naturally feel thirsty. If they do not drink water whenever they feel thirsty, the body suffers from dehydration as water content in the body dangerously plummets. It can prove fatal. They feel that this is what exactly happened in Prescilla's case.

It is thought that the lady, who went to bed at night after having drinks in excessive quantities, would have felt thirsty at night. She probably could not get up and walk to get water. Therefore, her body lost water, which in turn, resulted in excessive weakness, culminating in her death, personnel of rural station here, who have registered the case, opine.

Head constable of the station, Peter Soans, says that people who consume more liquor, tend to become thirsty often. He says that as per the experience of bringing liquor addicts to the police station in the past, the police personnel of the station know that drunkards require high amounts of water. Therefore, water is always kept ready for them in a huge bottle in the police station, he explains.

The police do not see any other plausible reason for her death. If there are any other reasons, it will be divulged in the postmortem report, receipt of which is awaited, they added.

Living alone is particularly fraught with risks for older people as they need people to care for them, talk to them, and exchange opinions. Companions also help in exercising control over vices including liquor addiction. It may be recalled that an old woman living alone in the city had died two years back, and her death had come into the open after about a month.