Kansas teen football player dies from heat during practice
- Ovet Gomez Regalado collapsed during a football workout on August 14, 2023, requesting water before losing consciousness.
- The medical examiner reported his death was due to heatstroke after exposure to dangerous heat and humidity.
- His tragic passing has highlighted the need for stricter safety protocols in high school athletics regarding extreme weather.
On August 14, 2023, Ovet Gomez Regalado, a 15-year-old football player, collapsed during an outdoor conditioning session at his high school near Kansas City, USA, while a heat advisory was in effect. The young athlete, who weighed 384 pounds and had sickle cell trait, displayed symptoms of heat stress and requested water before fainting. Despite attempts to cool him down with ice bags and buckets, his body temperature reached a critical high of 104.6°F (40.3°C) when emergency services arrived, subsequently lowering it to 102°F (38.9°C) during transport to the hospital. Tragically, Regalado passed away two days later due to heatstroke, as confirmed by the Johnson County medical examiner's report. The conditions on that day contributed significantly to the incident, with rising temperatures approaching 90°F and high humidity impacting the heat index. The Kansas State High School Activities Association acknowledged that outdoor workouts should have been monitored because the measured conditions indicated a dangerous level of heat stress. Regalado's untimely death raised concerns about safety protocols in high school sports, particularly during extreme weather conditions. The district conducted an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident, while the Shawnee police department also reviewed the case without any resulting action. The loss of Ovet Gomez Regalado has caused grief among his community and serves as a poignant reminder of the risks athletes face during conditioning practices in hot and humid weather.