Marine recruit at San Diego boot camp suffers fatal heart attack
A Marine recruit died at a hospital Sunday after being treated for a heart attack late Friday at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, officials said.
The military is withholding the recruit’s identity until next of kin is notified.
A Marine drill instructor at the boot camp performed CPR on the recruit around midnight Friday before first responders arrived and transported him to an off-base hospital, where authorities say he was listed in critical condition.
Citing federal health privacy rules, Marine officials on Saturday would only say that the recruit experienced a “medical emergency” but noted that he was being “monitored due to ongoing physical health issues” before the incident.
He died at 11:43 a.m. Sunday and Marine officials said medical investigators whom they did not specify are working to determine the cause of his death.
“Supporting the recruit’s family is our top priority and we continue to work closely with them during this most difficult time,” said Brig. Gen. William Jurney, commander of recruit depot, in an emailed statement to the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Prine writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.
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