An independent investigation into the heatstroke death of a 19-year-old football player who collapsed after the first day of conditioning practice at a Kansas community college has found “a striking lack of leadership.”
An independent investigation into the heatstroke death of a 19-year-old player who collapsed after the first day of conditioning practice at a Kansas community college has found “a striking lack of leadership.”
Braeden Bradforth, a 315-pound defensive lineman for Garden City Community College, was found unconscious outside his dorm room after practice on Aug. 1, 2018. The New Jersey native died that night at a hospital.
The scathing report highlights a lack of oversight, a failure to assess athletes prior to the conditioning test and a lack of attention paid to Bradforth’s personal fitness.
Staff didn’t consider whether he had acclimatized to the higher altitude and wasn’t prepared to deal with exertional heat illness. The reports says no staff or emergency personnel treated his escalating symptoms of heat stroke.