Rec Sports
Umpire Dies After Collapsing During Youth Softball Tournament amid Heatwave
NEED TO KNOW
- A youth sports umpire died while officiating a game in South Carolina
- Mitchell Huggins, 61, was a beloved official who was affectionately known as “Uncle Mitch”
- Huggins collapsed on the field after complaining of the heat
A community in South Carolina is mourning the loss of a longtime youth sports umpire who died amid a record-setting heatwave.
Mitchell Huggins, 61, died on Saturday, June 21 after collapsing on the field while he was officiating a softball tournament at a park in Sumter County, S.C., according to NBC affiliates WIS-TV and KARE-TV and Fox affiliate WACH-TV.
Huggins was pronounced dead at Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital in Sumter at approximately 6 p.m.
The Sumter County Coroner’s Office told WACH-TV that Huggins’ cause of death was due to heat stroke and that an underlying heart condition played a role. The coroner’s office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for additional comment.
On Saturday afternoon, Huggins passed out while he was working a game, his sister Pamela Rufus told WIS-TV. Onlookers tried to resuscitate him before first responders arrived and transported him to the hospital, she said.
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“He said he was hot,” Christy Pittman, who was at the game with her husband, told KARE-TV. “They tried to cool him down and got him some water. They finally called the ambulance, put him in a wheelchair, and rolled him down to the entrance of the ball field. He just slumped over.”
Temperatures at the time were in the 90s, but in photos taken by Pittman’s husband, a thermometer on the artificial turf field registered 182.5 degrees.
Known as “Mr. Mitch” and “Uncle Mitch,” the family man spent much of his time with youth sports. But according to a GoFundMe for Huggins, he was more than an official.
“Mitch was not just an umpire; he was a prominent figure in our community, recognized for his contagious smile and unwavering commitment,” organizer Wendy Walsh wrote. “His passion for the game of softball and the people involved was always evident.”