- Family and friends of Keith Titmuss dressed in t-shirts with his face
- The rising star, 20, died after suffering seizures following a training session.
- In the forensic investigation it was reported that he suffered a heart attack.
The family and supporters of Manly Sea Eagles forward Keith Titmuss, dressed in T-shirts bearing the late player’s face, attended court for the final day of the inquest into his death.
The young striker died in hospital after suffering seizures following cardiovascular training at the club’s base in Narrabeen, on Sydney’s northern beaches, on November 23, 2020.
A coroner’s inquest into the incident reported that the 20-year-old suffered a heart attack in hospital and his death was determined to be the result of exertional heat exhaustion.
Mr Titmuss’ mother and father, Lafo and Paul Titmuss, as well as his sister, Zara, and brother, Jesse, wore T-shirts with Mr Titmuss’s face as they entered the New South Wales Coroner’s Court.
A statement from the family is expected to be read in court later Wednesday, and Titmuss’ teammates had already given testimony about his tragic final moments.
Soccer star Keith Titmuss died in hospital after suffering seizures following a cardio workout in 2020.
Mr Titmuss’ family and friends dressed in T-shirts with his face on them as they attended court.
The investigation, which has lasted weeks, has looked at a number of factors that may have influenced Mr Titmuss’ sudden deterioration, from complaining of cramps to suffering seizures.
Giving evidence on Thursday, Dr Simon Quilty placed greater importance than previous experts on a coronary stenosis, or thickening of the arteries, diagnosed after Mr Titmuss’ death.
‘There is a 20-year-old young man who is very fit and who died on a relatively mild day from sunstroke. There has to be a predisposition somewhere,” Dr Quilty told the court.
Asked if the Manly Sea Eagles could have adapted a shorter training session for Titmuss, Dr Quilty said the “unfortunate” thing was that his coronary condition was unknown at the time.
‘I understand it was 24C. Soccer teams have been doing training sessions like this since I was a child. “It was a classic type session,” Dr Quilty told the court.
The evidence also focused on Mr Titmuss’ physical condition at the start of pre-season, with the court being told Manly had scored poorly on several aerobic fitness tests.
Aaron Coutts, professor of sport and exercise science at the University of Technology Sydney, said the results were a “red flag” when it came to their ability to deal with the heat.
A coroner’s inquest into the incident reported that the 20-year-old suffered a heart attack in hospital.
The data showed that Mr. Titmuss had the lowest aerobic fitness assessed at that time.
“The data showed that Keith has the lowest aerobic fitness score tested in the Manly Sea Eagles at the time, much lower than generally reported scores,” he said.
He later added: “He (Mr Titmuss) was at increased risk of not tolerating the fitness sessions and, as a consequence, his risk (of heat-related illnesses) increased.”
The court was told that Mr Titmuss had put on 4.6kg in the off-season, which Professor Coutts thought was probably fat, and that the session was long for the first time in pre-season.
When asked if he was to blame, he said: “It was a very complicated situation and it’s impossible to predict exertional heat stress… just the risk factors.”
Two ambulance paramedics testified on Tuesday about the conditions at Manly’s ‘tin shed dojo’, which they said was hot and humid, making them sweaty.
Crucially, the duo, as well as a NSW Ambulance director, supported the decision not to call in the players, staff and allied health professionals present to assist in the response.
NSW Ambulance paramedic Grant said it would have been difficult to keep the ice packs in place amid the “chaotic” scene and he had focused on tackling the seizures.