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South Omaha High School student died from excessive heat, says county attorney Don Kleine

Autopsy also revealed a heart problem
Drake Geiger
Posted at 3:04 PM, Dec 10, 2021
and last updated 2021-12-10 16:04:33-05

OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine told 3 News Now that extreme heat was the main factor in the death of Drake Geiger, an Omaha South High student who collapsed during a high school football practice on Aug. 10. When Geiger collapsed the temperature was 91 degrees with a heat index of 105 degrees.

SEE MORE:No kid deserves to lose their life going to a sport,” Drake Geiger's family calls for change

“No kid deserves to lose their life going to a sport,” Drake Geiger's family calls for change

The county attorney says that 16-year-old Geiger also had heart problems, which played a role in his death. The heart problems were discovered during an autopsy, but he says that hyperthermia, or overheating, was determined to be the primary cause of Geiger’s death.

Kleine declined to say whether or not Geiger’s heart condition was known before his death.

RELATED: "Hardest part was being alone and seeing his room," father says of Omaha South's Drake Geiger

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