Yahshua Robinson, a 12-year-old boy who was enrolled at Lake Middle School in Lake Elsinore, California, died on Tuesday (Aug. 29) while running in extreme heat during gym class, New York Post reports.
Students in Robinson’s class informed his aunt, Amarna Plummer, of what happened to her nephew. Apparently, he was forced to run on the field after wearing the wrong clothes to gym class. The kid also begged his gym teacher for water as he ran under the intense sun.
During his last few minutes alive, Robinson told the teacher and his class that he could not breathe. He then collapsed on the field and was unresponsive.
According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, there was a report of a young student needing medical attention. Emergency responders rushed the child to Loma Linda University Medical Center in Murrieta, which is about 10 miles away. Robinson was pronounced dead at 12:55 p.m.
Robinson’s devastated aunt and the rest of his family are demanding answers following the boy’s death. “Why would you have a child in his clothes — he didn’t dress out — running a field?” Plummer asked.
According to the Weather Channel, Lake Elsinore’s temperatures reached a high of 97 degrees Fahrenheit that day.
Ironically, Robinson’s mother is a gym teacher in another district and she warned school officials of the severe heat on the same day. She told the administration not to let the children go outside for gym class. But unfortunately, she received a call that her son passed out on the field from the heat.
“This is terrible. It happened on somebody else’s watch,” Plummer added.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the student’s death. Furthermore, the Lake Elsinore Unified School District released a statement.
“In this difficult moment, we are deeply saddened to confirm the passing of one of our students due to a medical emergency on one of our LEUSD campuses. Our hearts are with the family, friends, and our school community,” it read.
A GoFundMe page has been set up for Robinson’s parents and siblings, who must now deal with the loss of their loved one.