WESTLAND, Mich. – Dean Galvan says his 87-year-old dad, Jesse Galvan, didn't let his age or the weather slow him down.
He wanted to do everything himself.
"You can't play with his toys," Dean said. "You can't play with his snowblowers."
Jesse went out Wednesday morning to shovel snow at his Westland home. Dean assumed he was just clearing the walkway and that they would do the driveway together later.
So Dean, who was exhausted after working overnight, took a quick nap. When he woke up an hour and 1/2 later, his dad hadn't come back in the house.
"I couldn't find him in the house and I looked at all over the house," he said. "I looked outside and I seen the car up against the boat over here and I seen his legs."
Dean called 911. Paramedics couldn't revive his dad. Jesse died of a heart attack.
"He was just an outside man," Dean said. "That's all he's ever been. He loves the outdoors. I guess this is the way he wanted to go. If he was going to go, this is the way he would probably prefer it."
Dean would often tell his dad about the dangers of shoveling snow at his age. He wants to warn other seniors to leave the heavy lifting to someone else.
"You get out there. You get in trouble. I should have waited for him to come inside the house and make sure everything was alright before I laid down. That's my only regret," he said.
-- Jesse Galvan (right)