Student Dies at Rec Center Despite Quick Response

A student at the University of Hawaii collapsed suddenly during a workout at the Warrior Recreation Center over the weekend and ultimately died.

In the wake of the incident, Hawaii News Now is analyzing how the school responded. Reportedly, after the collapse, bystanders administered CPR, and a spokesperson said an AED was deployed and used on the student. It’s unclear whether the AED used was one of the three kept on the UH campus, or if it had been brought by emergency personnel.

According to the American Heart Association, cardiac arrest victims who received a shock from a publicly-available AED had “far greater chances of survival and being discharged from the hospital than those who did not; 66.5 percent versus 43 percent.” Cardiac arrest patients who did not receive an AED shock either died or had impaired brain function 70 percent of the time. Whether the student who died at UH suffered a cardiac arrest is unknown, however the use of an AED offers a glimpse into emergency responders’ thinking.

Despite the use of the AED and CPR, the student could not be revived and was pronounced dead on the scene.

School president David Lassner released a message to the campus community on Saturday afternoon, which read in part: “Late this morning a UH Manoa student passed away unexpectedly in the Warrior Recreation Center. The student experienced a medical emergency while working out and could not be revived. Our hearts go out to the student’s family and friends. We are not releasing any additional information at this time out of respect for their privacy.”