Football player, 16, died of heatstroke
A 16-year old football player who collapsed in August during practice at Arnold O. Beckman High School in Irvine died of heatstroke, the Orange County coroner’s office said Thursday.
Kenny Wilson, a 6-foot-2, 276-pound junior lineman, fell ill toward the end of 2 1/2 hours of conditioning drills that began at 8:30 a.m. Aug. 17.
Officials with the Tustin Unified School District said the heat-related death could prompt policy changes for athletic practices.
“This was a very tragic accident and we continue to mourn the loss of this young man,” said Mark Eliot, a district spokesman. Temperatures on the morning of Aug. 17 were in the mid-70s. At the time of Wilson’s death, he was wearing shorts, a shirt and helmet but no pads. Five minutes earlier, Coach Brian Mustain said, the team had finished a 10-minute water break.
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Dave McKibben
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