Amid a devastating heatwave, an elderly Texas couple and their dog were found dead in their home on June 16 after spending several days without air conditioning.

Romana and Monway Ison’s mobile home in Baytown first experienced an air conditioning system failure on June 12, said daughter Roxana Flood. ABC13 News report.

They were “literally in the oven,” Flood said.

However, the couple reportedly were unable to financially fix the unit and decided to keep the matter a secret while they worked to secure the loan, Flood said. . A neighbor, Eddie Phillips, has offered to stay in his home while Ramona and Monway work things out, according to the media.

Flood claimed her parents “didn’t have to spend the whole day apart” and that her father’s mobility impairment may have made her reluctant to leave.

According to ABC 13, her granddaughter Alexandra Caesar believes she turned down Phillips’ offer to host because she “felt it might be a burden”. When Mr. Phillips insisted on providing a portable air conditioner instead, “they didn’t respond. That’s it,” he told reporters.

Flood argued that the couple, who had been accustomed to the heat all their lives, “thought they would be fine.” (Related: 2 hikers killed in Valley of Fire due to record-breaking heat)

After all, Phillips said he was concerned when he didn’t see them during his usual morning walk, so he “went in to see how they were doing.” Ms. Phillips told ABC 13 reporters that she started calling authorities after her couple repeatedly knocked on her, but she didn’t respond.

The great-grandparents, who were approaching their 52nd wedding anniversary, were pronounced dead at the scene by the coroner shortly after, the paper reported. A technician who was scheduled to fix the couple’s air conditioner arrived while the medical examiner was making a decision, according to the report.

Flood told the media outlet his family was overwhelmed and reiterated that the heat was “no joke”.

The accident was one of at least seven heat-related fatalities in Harris County since June, according to ABC 13, according to records.