Korey Stringer's death from heat stroke in 2001 after he collapsed at practice with the Minnesota Vikings prompted many changes to safety protocols across all levels of sports. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.
The most vital lesson: Cool first, transport second.
Almost an hour and a half passed from when Stringer exited a blocking drill during training camp and arrived by ambulance at a hospital with a core body temperature of 108.8 degrees Fahrenheit.
Though he was moved to an air-conditioned trailer by the practice field that morning in Mankato, Minnesota, the lack of effective diagnosis and treatment by the team's medical staff during that time made his outlook all the more dire. About 15 hours after he collapsed, Stringer was pronounced dead, the only known NFL player to die from exertional heat stroke.
"I've been an expert witness in 85 court cases of people dying from heat stroke, and in every single one the person didn't need to die if they were properly treated and cooled," said Douglas Casa, the executive director of the Korey Stringer Institute at the University of Connecticut that was established in 2010 as part of the settlement of the wrongful death lawsuit his family brought against the league. "With a $150 tub of ice a..."