According to a police complaint, a collegiate wrestler died after his coaches allegedly ignored his calls for water during tough punishment sprints.
Grant Brace, a 20-year-old University of the Cumberlands student, died in Kentucky on August 31, 2021.
According to the Lexington Herald-Leader, Brace and other competitors were obliged to run up a steep hill many times as part of conditioning training.
The athlete, who was from Tennessee, ran the laps up the steep “Punishment Hill” which had a 30-40% gradient.
Brace was discovered dead on the ground two hours after the conditioning exercise ended, after falling in his own vomit.
After sliding to the ground, the pupil gripped the grass.
Experts claimed he died from exertional heatstroke, which was 100% avoidable, according to coroners.
As part of their investigation into Brace’s murder, Williamsburg detectives interrogated scores of teenagers who were members of the wrestling team.
During the practice, his teammates were apparently not permitted to touch their water bottles, according to cops.
Instructors allegedly urged students to hurl their beverages over the fence.
Brace had fallen behind throughout the sprints, according to witnesses.
Coaches allegedly urged him to leave the session and clean up his locker, according to police.
Brace returned to the slope a few minutes later, anxious to impress his instructors and teammates.
Witnesses informed officers that Brace was wobbling back and forth after the laps, according to Williamsburg Police Chief Wayne Bird.
According to the officer, he reportedly told teammates, “I can’t stand.”
Witnesses told police that Brace tried to cool himself by opening a cooler of ice and splashing it on his face.
In August 2021, a lawsuit was filed alleging that head coach Jordan Countryman and assistant head coach Jake Sinkovics failed to provide him with water.
According to the lawsuit, Brace sought to find a water fountain before collapsing and dying.
He was diagnosed with narcolepsy and ADHD, and his family was told that modifications would be made when he joined the squad, according to the document.
