Posted on 07/14/2022 3:14:34 PM PDT by nickcarraway
A 24-year-old archaeological worker with the Shreveport Cultural Resource Analysts died suddenly from a medical event Monday, July 11, the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office says.
It happened in the Kisatchie National Forest-Kisatchie District within the parish.
Around 2:15 p.m., multiple law enforcement agents responded to reports that a female hiker was possible suffering from heat exhaustion or a stroke on Forest Service Road #321 Bayou Camp Road off Longleaf Vista in the forest. While first responders were trying to get to the location, two coworkers were performing CPR on the woman until help could arrive. Medical personnel arrived on scene and continued CPR for a time, but determined the woman had died.
The Natchitoches Parish Coroner’s Office was notified, and the woman was identified as Kaylen Eileen Gehrke, 24, formerly of Missoula, Mont. She had recently moved to Longview, Texas, with her parents.
Gehrke’s parents say she was a 2016 graduate of Golden High School in Golden, Colo. She then earned a bachelor’s degree in forensic anthropology with a minor in Spanish-English bilingual from the University of Montana.
Officials do not believe there was any foul play involved in her death. Her body is being transported to Shreveport for an autopsy. Officials believe her death may be heat-related.
Deputies report that it was Gehrke’s first day on the job; she and her two co-workers were conducting an archaeological survey of Kisatchie National Forest for the U.S. Forest Service when she fell ill.
NWS Shreveport says at 2:15 p.m. Monday, it was 98° outside in Natchitoches, with a heat index of more than 107°.
Gehrke is survived by her parents, Ronald and Betsy, and her sister, Kylie.
No kidding. I grew up near the water in the East but moved to the mountains of New Mexico. Now when I visit, if it’s in summer I feel like I’m breathing spit through a straw.
Poor lady. My sons and I have been working camp staff for the last couple of weeks in North Carolina, and it’s been very hot and humid. The humidity is what gets you: no evaporation cooling, and your core temperature can get too high.
I don’t think it was the vaccine.
I’m betting the woman had no idea how to handle East Texas in high heat and humidity.
You gotta acclimate, drink lots of water days before, stay hydrated and keep your electrolytes healthy.
Then their are the bugs….
..and snakes.
Actually, I'm from Shreveport, so, yeah.
Per the picture, a prime candidate for a cardiac arrest. You don’t have to be 70 to have your heart lock up from heat stroke.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.