Boy, 12, dies after PE at California school amid heat wave

A 12-year-old boy died after a medical emergency at a Riverside County middle school on Tuesday, the sheriff’s office told SFGATE. The family of Yahshua Robinson believes hot weather may have contributed to his death. The boy’s death remains under investigation; heat illness has not officially been confirmed to be the cause of death. 

Yahshua was having a typical school day at Canyon Lake Middle School in the town of Lake Elsinore on Aug. 29 until “taking part in his PE activities” when he “collapsed and became unresponsive” amid “sweltering heat,” according to a GoFundMe campaign started by a family member. 

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office said it responded to a report of a juvenile needing medical aid at the school at 11 a.m. Officers with the department and firefighters with Cal Fire responded to the scene, and the boy was rushed to a local hospital where he was later pronounced deceased, the sheriff’s office said. KTLA reported that the boy died from cardiac arrest.

Yahshua’s death is under investigation, and the sheriff’s office told SFGATE that it could not comment on whether the hot weather contributed to the death. Lake Elsinore recorded an afternoon high of 106 degrees on Tuesday, while the temperature was in the 90s at 11 a.m., according to the National Weather Service. California, and especially Southern California, has seen sweltering temperatures due to high pressure over the region this week. The weather service issued warnings Monday about the heat in Riverside County and said Tuesday was likely to be the hottest day of the week.

 Yahshua’s aunt who started the GoFundMe, Amarna Plummer, alleged to NBC News that the boy was forced to run after failing to wear the appropriate clothes to PE. 

“He was reaching out to the teacher, saying he needed some water. He said he couldn’t breathe. He was telling the kids this,” Plummer told the news station.

The Lake Elsinore Unified School District did not immediately respond to a request for comment.