Five members of the Tufts University men’s lacrosse team remain hospitalized after undergoing a workout modeled after Navy SEALs training.
On Monday, a Navy SEAL trainee conducted a voluntary 45-minute workout with 50 Tufts players resulting in 12 of them being sent to a nearby hospital, per a report from Mark Fortier of NBC Boston.
The dozen players shared a similar diagnosis of rhabdomyolysis — a life-threatening condition that causes muscles to break down. Seven of them were treated in the emergency room and released, while the five others remained confined.
The workout was led by a Tufts alumnus who had recently finished the BUD/S Navy SEAL training program.
“Our thoughts are with the players and their families, and we are hoping for their quick return to good health under the care of local medical experts,” said Tufts executive director of media relations Patrick Collins.
“Meanwhile, we are closely monitoring the condition of the rest of the team and have postponed all team practice activities until each team member has been evaluated and medically cleared to return to participation.”
Collins added that the university is appointing “an external, independent investigator” to look into the workout. No further details on the incident will reportedly be released until the investigation is complete.
Tufts won the 2024 Division III men’s lacrosse national championship earlier this year via a 18-14 win over RIT. It was the fourth title in program history.
