The Hawkeye community is mourning a devastating loss. University of Iowa student and band member Derek Phillips has tragically passed away.
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The incident occurred during the Hawkeyes' season opener against the University of Northern Illinois last Saturday (September 5). According to a statement from Phillips' family, he suffered a sudden "cardiac arrest" which was caused by the overwhelming heat during the game.
Iowa Band Member Dies After Collapsing in Hot Weather
Phillips had been on life support since last weekend, with hopes of making a recovery. However, his family said that the brain damage he suffered as a result of the heart attack was too much for him to overcome. Thus, his family chose to take him off life support. A decision that they called "heartbreaking."
"Despite the extraordinary efforts of the ICU team at the University of Iowa Hospital, the damage was too severe, and we have made the heartbreaking decision to remove life support," his family said in a post on Derek's social media on Monday (September 7).
They also added, "He was a phenomenal musician-whether he was playing jazz, singing his heart out, or marching under the lights, music was the language of his soul. He just had the absolute summer of his life touring in drum and bugle corps. We are so grateful for that experience," his family said.
The temperature during the opening game of the season was 90 degrees. Making it the fourth-hottest home game in the program's long history (via KCRG)
Following the incident, the University made the decision to cancel all halftime performances last Saturday. They also released a social media post that alerted students to what steps to take if they ever begin feeling sick due to the heat.
"If you are feeling uncomfortable or unwell due to the heat, please don't hesitate to leave the venue and get to a cooler, safer environment. Your health and safety come first, and we understand if you need to head home early," they said in a Facebook post.
