Woman dies while seeking help for fallen husband

 A 71-year-old woman who went to get help for her husband after he fell getting out of their vehicle has been found dead near their home, state police said.

The couple was returning from a shopping trip Monday night when Stewart Little fell and wasn't able to stand up, police said. His wife, Patricia, decided to walk to a neighbor's house for help.

After some time, Stewart Little managed to crawl into the living room of their Irasburg home but couldn't reach a phone to call 911, police said. A family member who stopped by the home Wednesday discovered that Stewart Little was suffering from an undisclosed medical problem and that Patricia Little was missing, police said.

After troopers and a canine unit arrived, a dog found Patricia Little dead in a field between her home and the neighbors'. Police said there's no sign of foul play and a cause of death is pending.

"We suspect, obviously with the weather, that she may have fallen and was unable to get up, and she succumbed to the weather," State Police Capt. J.P. Sinclair told WCAX-TV.

"It's obviously tragic — very, very sad. We certainly wish it could've ended differently," Sinclair said.

Stewart Little was taken to a hospital and is expected to recover