Bicyclist, 20, dies after collapsing Saturday in Oxon Hill
Authorities suspect death is heat-related
A 20-year-old man died in Prince George's County after collapsing while bicycling, and an official says the death may be linked to the heat Saturday.
Medics were called to Potomac River Park in Oxon Hill around 11:15 a.m. after passers-by saw the man collapse from his bicycle and hit his head on a tree as he fell, said Mark Brady, spokesman for the Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department.
The man was riding along a path that runs between Oxon Hill Farm and National Harbor, Brady said. Temperatures reached 100 degrees Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.
When emergency personnel arrived, a bystander was performing CPR, and the man was unconscious, Brady said. The man was in cardiac arrest, showing signs of a possible heat-related illness and was taken to Fort Washington Hospital Center where he died, according to Brady.
The man's identity has not yet been released. An official cause of death will not be determined until an autopsy is performed, but paramedics believe high temperatures and humidity likely played a role in the man's death, Brady said. The U.S. Park Police and the county police department will be conducting a joint investigation.
In Maryland, there have been 16 reported heat-related deaths this year, according to the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
The National Weather Service expected the heat index to be up to 108 degrees Sunday. Anyone who feels symptoms of heat stroke or exhaustion, including disorientation; dry, red skin; extreme weakness; nausea or convulsions, should seek emergency medical care, Brady said. Officials advise residents to keep cool, drink plenty of fluids and avoid strenuous activity.
E-mail Andrea Noble at anoble@gazette.net