A D.C. firefighter candidate who fell ill after strenuous training died from a skeletal muscle injury provoked by vigorous physical activity, the medical examiner said this week. But the revelation does not clear up whether poor care might have accelerated his collapse. Eric Allen, 23, of Temple Hills, died Oct. 15 of an acute breakdown of muscle fiber following strenuous exercise, which in rare cases can lead to kidney failure and death. Allen, who was trying out for a spot as a firefighter recruit, had successfully completed a stair-climbing test at the training academy around 10 a.m. Oct. 14 when he started having trouble breathing.
“The manner [of death] is natural,” said Sharlene Williams, general counsel in the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
The cause of death, however, does not resolve whether Allen was appropriately assessed by emergency responders or properly treated by hospital staff. At the academy, Allen was evaluated by medics and transported to Greater Southeast Community Hospital. His condition worsened, and he was taken to Washington Hospital Center, where he died less than 24 hours later.
The paramedic who first assessed him retired while the case was under investigation, fire department spokesman Alan Etter said Thursday. She was placed on no-patient contact immediately after Allen’s death, after uncertainty arose as to whether she properly classified the severity of his illness. The department’s investigation has since closed.
