20-Year-Old College Wrestler Died From Heatstroke After Coaches Refused Him Water: Report

Williamsburg, Kentucky -- A 20-year-old college wrestler in Kentucky who begged for water during his practice session died from heatstroke after his coaches refused to listen to his repeated pleas, reports said.

During the first day of wrestling conditioning at the University of the Cumberlands on Aug. 31, 2020, Grant Brace pleaded with his team to give him water. "Guys, I need water. Get me some water," Brace begged for help. However, his frantic requests were denied by the coaches and Brace died of exertional heatstroke two hours after the practice.

Following Brace's death, Williamsburg Police Department interviewed more than 40 members of the wrestling team who were present on the first day of conditioning. The members said their coaches had asked them to "throw their water bottles on the fence and not touch them" as they shifted the practice to outdoors in the afternoon, Local 12 reported Thursday.

The coaches reportedly made the entire team run a series of sprints up over a 200-foot slope at a 35 percent incline after a teammate failed to meet his fundraising goals. When Brace failed to keep up the "punishment hill" he was asked to "leave the hill and clean out his locker." Although Brace went to the locker, he came back soon and continued the sprints as he wanted to prove himself before his coaches and teammates.

"Some witnesses describe a lot of verbal abuse by the coaches and even teammates as Brace continued to attempt sprints up the hill," Williamsburg Police Chief Wayne Bird reportedly told the outlet.

After the session, Brace started begging for water while lying on a gym mat. A teammate then wrapped him with a towel with ice to cool him down. However, the coach stopped the teammate from helping Brace citing his poor performance.

Meanwhile, Brace's physical condition deteriorated, his eyes started twitching, and he started speaking "gibberish". At one point, Brace immersed himself in a cooler full of ice that was provided by the trainer and splashed it on his body. In a state of panic, Brace ran to a nearby building and tried to open a locked door, according to a surveillance video, the NY Post reported.

Brace was later found collapsed on all fours with what appeared to be vomit near his body. The medical experts who determined that Brace died of exertional heat stroke said the death could have been completely preventable.

According to reports, Brace suffered from narcolepsy - a chronic sleep disorder characterized by overwhelming daytime drowsiness and sudden attacks of sleep. Since he was prescribed Adderall for the condition, he was supposed to be provided with "unlimited access to water".

“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," national heat expert Bud Cooper told Local 12.

Brace's family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the school, accusing that the coaches failed to protect their son's health and safety. Meanwhile, the police are still investigating the case.