Heat Attach

I was told that it was on TV about the heat attack at Beast, but I didn't see it. Have any of you heard about this or have details?

I have only heard about cadets suffering from heat exhaustion during USNA's Plebe Summer last week, and the three cadets who were having problems were better after a day or so.

Not quite clear if the question is about something like heat stroke or if it's about a heart attack. Maybe you could elaborate, elan xu?

I heard several cadets were actually hospitalized due to heat attacks. That is why I asked.

Heat attacks can easily be avoided if one drinks enough water throughout regular intervals.

elan_xu said:

I heard several cadets were actually hospitalized due to heat attacks. That is why I asked.

Click to expand...

It has been extremely HOT and HUMID up at West Point this summer. This is probably the hottest summer in years, if not decades. 4th of July week saw 3 days in triple digits and very humid.

Heat exhaustion is not that uncommon. This is something that catches up with folks usually after several days. Parents can remind their New Cadets to drink lots and lots of fluids in the evening. They do have mandatory hydration, but for some it may not be enough.
Remind them that their urine output should be clear, not yellow and they should be going more than 4 times per day.

Heat exhaustion is easily treated by a cool environment, plenty of hydrating fluids and sometimes and IV. Otherwise healthy individuals quickly recover upon treatment.

When New Cadets go into the field they have medics who go with them. They are their to diagnose and treat any medical problems your NC's have including heat exhaustion. Keller Hospital is on post with a fully staffed emergency room.
Your New Cadets are well cared for.

From the Commandant's (BG Rapp) Facebook page:
I know that parents of new cadets and yearlings training here at West Point are concerned with the very hot temps and high humidity. We are very cognizant of the impacts of this heat wave and taking many precautions. Intake of both water and food is being emphasized; training is being modified in task, uniform, and duration; and the chain of command and medics are constantly checking the new cadets. We are on it!

The new cadets are in good hands.

WAMom68 said:

From the Commandant's (BG Rapp) Facebook page:
I know that parents of new cadets and yearlings training here at West Point are concerned with the very hot temps and high humidity. We are very cognizant of the impacts of this heat wave and taking many precautions. Intake of both water and food is being emphasized; training is being modified in task, uniform, and duration; and the chain of command and medics are constantly checking the new cadets. We are on it!

The new cadets are in good hands.

Click to expand...

Even though that statement was made over two weeks ago, it still counts for today.

If a Cadet had a heart attack, the first person notified would have been their parent, I wouldn't worry about INTERNET rumors.

Maximus said:

Even though that statement was made over two weeks ago, it still counts for today.

If a Cadet had a heart attack, the first person notified would have been their parent, I wouldn't worry about INTERNET rumors.

Click to expand...

Yep. While a trip to the ER won't necessitate a call home; a NC admitted to the hospital will. Those admitted (it does happen) will be highly encouraged to call home. As in, they will give them a phone and tell them to dial the number.

I live about 3 hours from West Point, and let me tell you guys, it is hot! I've been sweating bullets before I even start my daily schedule.

In a note our NC mentioned that NCs are throwing up around him a lot. That will draw the attention of the medics on hand really quickly. Having lived in the desert for more than 15 years, there are other tricks like drinking fluids and eating high-fluid fruits/vegs (i.e., melon, tomatoes, oranges, etc.) in the morning before you start your day. The ol' desert rats will tell you that if you experience the thirst "signal", your body has already started to dehydrate. Often at that point if you consume fluids too quickly, it'll be "right back at 'cha" and that's not pleasant! Aargh! As JAM says, watch the low fluid, dark colored output, too, as a signal for more fluids.

Now, we live in the beautiful, cool hills of New England. Yeah, right! Folks, this summer is not the usual. We're a couple of hours from West Point and don't have A/C because we don't need it. This heat has stretched well beyond the normal heat wave each summer.

The cadets health and safety during this heat wave have been a top priority.

DS was one of those cadets that spent the better part of a day at Keller due to heat exhaustion last week - and he wasn't the only one there for that. I can not say enough good things about the care that he received. When he first exhibited symptoms, the medics were all over him and took him to Keller where he received several bags of IV fluids. He was good to go that evening and went back to camp.

I was in the middle of something at church when we received the phone call. At the end of the call I was able to carry on without a worry because I knew that he was fine and had received prompt and excellent care.