MEDFORD, Mass. — After nine men’s lacrosse players were hospitalized with serious medical conditions following a workout led by a recent Navy SEAL graduate, Tufts University says they’re appointing an independent investigator to figure out what happened.
In an updated statement released Monday, university spokesperson Patrick Collins says three of the nine players who were diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis after a “voluntary, supervised, 45-minute team workout on Sept. 16″ are still in the hospital. He said the three players are responding to treatment and hope to be discharged soon. 50 team members participated in the workout.
Rhabdomyolysis, or rhabdo, is a condition that causes your muscles to disintegrate, which leads to muscle death, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
The university says they’re appointing an independent investigator to conduct a thorough investigation “to determine exactly what happened before, during, and after the workout; assess the university’s response; and review its procedures and policies to determine what changes it should make to prevent this from happening again.”
The name of the investigator was not immediately available.
“The university is addressing this matter with the utmost seriousness,” Collins said. “The team is a tight-knit group of young men who have shown remarkable resilience, understanding and care for each other throughout this episode. We will continue to monitor and work with them closely, and we hope for a rapid return to good health for all involved.”
The university says they’re closely monitoring the condition of the team and some players have been cleared to resume training, but practices will continue to be postponed until medical personnel authorize clearance.
A timetable for when practices will resume was not given.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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