The 20-year-old student, who suffered from narcolepsy, was prescribed Adderall and was supposed to be granted unlimited access to water. But, he was denied water by coaches because of his poor performance. The young man told witnesses that he could no longer see, began speaking ‘nonsense’ and tackled a teammate to the ground before leaving the gym. Two hours after the practice session ended, the 20-year-old man was found on the ground. Doctors told authorities that he died of heatstroke. His family is taking legal action against the school, claiming coaches failed to protect their son’s health and safety.
The 20-year-old student at the UC in Kentucky, Grant Brace, reportedly died of heatstroke on August 31, 2020 after he was denied water by coaches because of his poor performance. Brace reportedly told witnesses that he could no longer see, began speaking ‘nonsense’ and tackled a teammate to the ground before leaving the gym, police report says.
The university wrestler desperately asked for water, but was not given water by his coaches as a punishment for how he was training, authorities said. Officials also said that Brace was reportedly ‘forced’ to carry out repeated sprints up a 200 feet punishment hill on a hot day and was not allowed to drink water because he fell behind the rest of training colleagues. The drills were punishment for a teammate that failed to meet his fundraising goals.
According to witnesses, Grant Brace reportedly said: “Guys, I need water. Get me some water.” Even after he started speaking nonsense and was twitching he was still denied water. Two hours after the practice session ended, the 20-year-old man was found on the ground, collapsed in his own vomit. Doctors told authorities that he died of heatstroke. According to the New York Post, Brace reportedly suffered from narcolepsy and was prescribed Adderall. The young man was supposed to be granted unlimited access to water.
Grant’s teammates told investigators that they were allowed to take a water bottle out to the track, but the coaches told them to throw their water bottles on the fence and not touch them. The report doesn’t say whether they were allowed to drink at any point from the water bottles, Local 12 reports. Grant’s fatigue from the sprints set in, so he sat down. But, the coaching staff reportedly became irritated with his performance and told him to leave the hill and clean out his locker.
Unfortunately, the young student returned a couple of minutes later, saying he wanted to prove himself to the coaches and team. After the practice, Brace was on gym mat begging for water and while a teammate tried to cool him down with ice, a coach stopped him due to his poor performance. At this point, Brace became incoherent and started to twitch before leaving the gym. He was found two hours later, covered in vomit.
National heat expert, Bud Cooper, reportedly told Local 12: “Heatstroke is where your core temperature elevates above 104 degrees. Usually with heatstroke, individuals have lost consciousness. And again you can pick them out. You will start to see them. They will lose their ability to continue an activity. They’ll be lethargic. They’ll have an inability to communicate.”
According to the Mirror, Brace’s family is reportedly taking legal action against the school, claiming coaches failed to protect their son’s health and safety. Both coaches, Jordan Countryman and Jake Sinkovics, are accused of gross negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligent infliction of emotional distress.