Take brutally hot weather seriously, heatstroke survivor warns

History professor Ethan Borden Krizman urges people to take brutally hot weather seriously, drawing from a harrowing experience 20 years ago when he collapsed from heatstroke during a high school race. The memory of collapsing and blacking out, despite being close to the finish line, remains vivid.

Krizman describes experiencing tunnel vision and feeling his body weaken before losing consciousness. He was evacuated just short of the finish line on a 95F (35C) day while vomiting. This past trauma resurfaces whenever he sees news alerts about extreme heat, causing his heart rate to elevate.

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I started getting tunnel vision, and I could feel my body weakening, and I collapsed, like just I completely blacked out.

He notes that his tolerance for extreme heat has significantly decreased since the incident. While children and the elderly are widely recognized as most vulnerable, Krizman stresses that teens and healthy adults can also suffer severe symptoms, which can ultimately be fatal. His personal ordeal serves as a potent warning about the dangers of heatstroke.

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I can feel my heart (rate) elevating.