A 15-year-old high school football player collapsed and died while practicing after school. Officials determined that the teen passed away from a heat stroke.
The incident happened back in August, but the Kanas City medical examiner just made its official ruling on what caused the teen's death. They found that football player Ovet Gomez Regalado died of heatstroke. According to ABC News, the teen was walking toward Northwest High School when he collapsed. His medical crisis followed a 15-minute practice.
Sadly, the football player passed away two days later. An investigation determined that weather played a crucial factor in Regalado's death. The temperature for the day was 92 degrees Fahrenheit. However, humidity made it feel even hotter. The medical examiner also believes that the teen's heavier weight may have played a role in his death as well.
First responders tried to cool his body temperature, which was 104.6 Fahrenheit. They packed him with ice packs following his collapse. But they only managed to drop his overall body temperature down two degrees to 102 Fahrenheit. As a result, he ended up experiencing multiple organ failure causing his death.
Football Player Dies
Meanwhile, the Shawnee Police Department investigated into the school. But they found that the school was not at fault for the teen's death. After Regalado passed away, Shawnee High School principal, Lisa Gruman, shared a tribute to the football player. They described him as a kind and warm person.
"Ovet was such a warm and wonderful student that touched the hearts of so many in our community," Gruman said.
"Your child will hear many different things, but please encourage them not to make guesses and spread rumors," she continued. "The family will need privacy as they struggle to handle their grief, and the administration is asking everyone to respect that privacy."
"For all those who knew and loved Ovet, this report reopens the painful wounds that came as a result of his premature death," the school district said in a statement to ABC News. "His absence is deeply felt in the Northwest community, and nowhere more profoundly than by his family, including his brother, who continues to attend Northwest," the statement continued.
