Man found outside with pants down may lose legs

A Colorado Springs man was in critical condition Tuesday, one day after he was found partially undressed outside his home in sub-freezing temperatures, police said.

Michael Bulin, 48, of the 4300 block of Fletcher Drive was clad in a shirt and pants that were pulled down when neighbors spotted him lying next to a car in his driveway about 10:45 a.m. Monday, said Colorado Springs police Sgt. Randy Thomas. Police believe he suffered an accidental fall.

Bulin's legs were severely frostbitten and may have to be amputated at the knees, police said. Doctors at Memorial Hospital were meeting Tuesday to discuss whether that would be necessary, but their deliberations were not made public.

"If he'd been out there much longer he probably wouldn't have survived," Thomas said.

According to police, Bulin's core temperature was about 87.8 degrees Fahrenheit, more than 10 degrees below normal. People can survive core temperatures in the 70s, but the point at which cold exposure becomes fatal varies from person to person.
Bulin was semicoherent when officers attempted to ask him what happened. It's unclear how long he was outside, though his injuries suggest it was "an extended period of time," police said in a statement.

Detectives will conduct a follow-up investigation to make sure that foul play wasn't involved.

Memorial Hospital spokesman Chris Valentine confirmed Bulin was in critical condition as of Tuesday afternoon, but said he was barred from releasing further details by federal privacy laws.

Severe hypothermia generally is treated with warmed intravenous fluids and warm, moist oxygen and other treatments to warm the core body temperature, according to WebMD, an online medical resource. Some victims of extreme cold become confused and report feeling overheated, causing them to undress.

It was unclear whether that was a factor in Bulin's injuries, police said.
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contact the writer: 636-0366 or lance.benzel@gazette.com