Those at risk include intoxicated people who fall asleep outdoors, as well as elderly people who suffer an unexpected health emergency.

At the end of January, Tallinn resident Aleksandra Lilleorg found someone had been using her shed to escape the cold.

"Everything was neatly put away. There was no mess here at all. Then we moved the things out and left him a note about where the day centers and homeless shelters are in Tallinn," she told "Aktuaalne kaamera."

The surprise came when the owner of the belongings himself appeared.

"He knocked on my neighbor's window — he still had some things left here. And then it turned out he was actually a foreigner. We left the message in Estonian and Russian, but he actually spoke to us in English," Lilleorg said.

From 2003 to 2025, the number of deaths due to hypothermia has declined, data from the National Institute for Health Development (TAI) shows. Between 2003 and 2005, there were nearly 200 hypothermia victims per year. Last year, there were just over 30.

There is no epidemic, but there are still risk groups.

"Middle-aged people often have addictive substances in their blood. But the other group is a sadder group. When an elderly person likely lives alone and has many comorbidities, for example cardiovascular diseases, vascular dementia, or the aftereffects of a stroke, and if they are unable to heat their home," said Piret Viiklepp, head of the registries department at TAI.

In the Tallinn Ambulance Service's coverage area, which includes 500,000 residents, 60 people require emergency care each year due to hypothermia, chief physician Raul Adlas said.

Cases do not occur only during severe cold. A sudden health emergency and remaining in a helpless state for a long time can also cause hypothermia. If help arrives in time, most people can be saved.

"In nearly all cases where emergency care has been needed, the discovery has been accidental. Either a neighbor went to check because they had not seen someone for a while, or it was a chance visit. A systematic visit by a social worker or a close relative ensures that if someone's health is already poor, they receive help before the worst happens," Adlas said.

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