Police made the grim discovery of the bodies of a mother and her son outside of a home in Virginia on Sunday morning.

Authorities found 84-year-old Viola Cox near the back steps of her home in Spotsylvania County, where she had apparently fallen down, according to local TV station WTVR.

They also found the body of Douglas Cox, her 60-year-old son, on a trail that led from the home to a neighbor’s house. Police believe he had a medical issue as he was running for help, and both bodies had been out in the cold for “some time,” authorities said. Overnight temperatures in the region were bitterly cold, dipping to about 10 degrees.

Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office Captain Jeff Pearce called it a “tragic set of circumstances” that led to a “terrible ending,” according to the WTVR report.

A neighbor found thier bodies Sunday morning and notified authorities. The Medical Examiner in Richmond will perform an autopsy to figure out how exactly they both died.

The investigation remains ongoing.

Spotsylvania County is located in Northern Virginia and is considered part of the Washington D.C. metropolitan area, although it is more than 60 miles south of the city.