Fitness run death blamed on heart problems

[unhappycamper]

Fitness run death blamed on heart problems
By Bruce Rolfsen - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Apr 25, 2008 6:15:20 EDT

Heart problems and high blood pressure led to the death of an airman as he neared the end of his fitness test run last January, an investigation by Air Combat Command concluded.

Senior Airman William Smith III of Barksdale Air Force Base, La., was on the last lap of his 1.5-mile run when he collapsed Jan. 24. Other airmen rushed to help Smith and found him unconscious and not breathing.

Despite the use of an automated defibrillator and CPR, Smith didn’t regain consciousness and rescuers couldn’t find a pulse. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

The investigation into Smith’s death released Thursday found that the airman had high blood pressure related to left ventricular hypertrophy, a thickening of the heart muscle’s left pumping chamber. Eventually, the oversized heart can wear out and stop.


Article at: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/04/airforce_fitness_death_042408w/

[UndertheOcean]

1. Don't they do physicals first

before you start basic training ? how didn't they catch this

[unhappycamper]

2. A medical waiver perhaps? n/t