Photo: ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images
A 12-year-old Riverside County boy passed away Tuesday after he was made to run during a physical education class in heat above 90 degrees F.
Yahshua Robinson, a student at Canyon Lake Middle School, in Lake Elsinoresuffered a medical emergency at approximately 11:00 am during a physical education class in sweltering heat.
Riverside County Sheriff’s Department sheriffs and Cal Fire paramedics responded to the school campus.in the 33000 block of Canyon Hills Road.
Amara Plummer, Yahshua’s aunt, said that his nephew had not dressed for physical education and they told him to start running because he was not wearing sportswear, despite the high temperature in the environment.
The relative said that according to other students at the high school, Yahshua began to feel bad.
“He approached the teacher and told him that he needed some water.. She said that he couldn’t breathe. I was telling this to the kids,” she expressed.
Plummer said that his nephew’s physical condition worsened and he collapsed in the field.
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The child was treated by emergency services and transferred to a hospital, but his death was later confirmed due to cardiac arrest.
Plummer questioned the reason for having a boy run in his regular clothes in a field when he was not dressed properly for a physical education class and under intensely hot conditions.
The aunt said that Yahshua’s mother is a physical education instructor at another school, and according to Plummer, the mother warned school administrators about the danger posed by the intense heat, although it was not clear to which administrators the warning was issued.
Yahshua’s family issued a statement regarding the child’s death.
“We know that many loved Yahshua and we appreciate all of you who help us mourn his loss. We are still in shock and disbelief over Yahshua’s death. He was a bright, talented and caring boy with a future ahead of him. We are struggling to understand why this happenedthe family said.
They mentioned that I was waiting for the coroner’s report to know the cause that caused the death of Yahshua.
A GoFundMe page was created so that the community can make donations to help the family with funeral expenses.
A spokesperson for Lake Elsinore Unified School District (LEUSD) He said no specific details could be given about the 12-year-old’s death.
In a statement, the district expressed sadness as it confirmed the death “of one of our students due to a medical emergency on one of our LEUSD campuses.”
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