Family of the 12-year-old boy, Yahshua, said the child begged for father before he collapsed and died. The boy reportedly ran in extreme heat during gym class. The boy’s aunt Amarna also said that her son complained of feeling ill before he collapsed, students in the boy’s class told her. “He was reaching out to the teacher, saying he needed some water,” she told the outlet of her nephew’s final minutes alive. Temperatures reached a high of 97 degrees, according to the NYP.
According to the boy’s family, Yahshua was allegedly forced to run when he wore the wrong clothes to gym class. Per reports, while the child ran, he told the teacher and fellow students he couldn’t breathe before becoming unresponsive. First responders rushed to his aid, but, unfortunately, the boy was pronounced dead at 12:55 p.m., the Riverside Sheriff’s Office said in a press release. The family is now demanding answers following the child’s death.
The boy’s mother is a gym teacher in a neighboring district and that same day, warned school officials about the intense heat. Per reports, the Sheriff’s Department confirmed it responded to the school after receiving a report of a minor needing medical aid and is investigating the death, according to a statement released by the department.
As the family waits to receive the autopsy report on the 12-year-old boy, US Environmental Protection Agency experts have shared the dangers of heat-related illness in children. According to the state officials, children are more susceptible to dehydration than adults because fluids leave their bodies faster in heat and when exercising, the organization also shared in its report.