CHICAGO -- A heart condition, not record-setting heat, killed a Michigan police officer who died running during an unusually hot and humid Chicago Marathon, an autopsy showed Monday.
Chad Schieber, 35, collapsed well into Sunday's race, leading to speculation his death was related to the 88-degree temperatures that forced organizers to announce they were halting the race. Several other people collapsed, and at least two remained in critical condition Monday.
The medical examiner's office said Schieber had mitral valve prolapse and did not die from the heat, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office.
The condition is a "common heart disorder" in which the valve between the "heart's left upper chamber and lower left chamber does not close properly," according to MayoClinic.com. It is in most cases harmless, and sometimes requires treatment, the Web site says.
Schieber, a Midland, Mich., police officer, was pronounced dead shortly before 1 p.m. at a Veteran's Affairs hospital, according to the medical examiner's office.
"It sounds like he lost his pulse very fast and died on the race course," George Chiampas, the race's medical director, said at a news conference. Chiampas said witnesses reported seeing Schieber collapse and become unresponsive.
Deputy Chief Bob Lane told the Midland Daily News on Sunday that Schieber kept to himself about his interests and did not know that his colleague had taken up running, or that he was participating in a marathon.
"He's definitely going to be missed," Lane said. "Everybody's still in shock."
At least 49 people were taken to hospitals, while another 250 were treated onsite, many for heat-related ailments. About 10,000 of the 45,000 registered runners never even showed for the race, while another 10,934 started but didn't finish, officials said.
Within two hours of the 8 a.m. start time, temperatures already had reached a race-record of 88 degrees. The previous marathon record of 84 degrees was set in 1979. The high heat index prompted organizers to stop the race at 11:30 a.m., about 3½ hours into the run.
In an interview with the Daily News, Midland resident Rhonda Poston credited Schieber with saving the life of her daughter, Jessica Forsyth, and unborn grandchild last March. According to Poston, Schieber was the first officer on the scene when Forsyth was shot four times by her estranged boyfriend. Poston said she was there when the shootings occurred.
"He was just amazing. He was telling her she was going to be OK," Poston told the newspaper. "He was very kind. We wouldn't have Jessie or this baby [without him]."
Information from The Associated Press was included in this report.
Source: ESPN.com
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