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A TikTok creator collapsed and died after finishing Disneyland’s “Halloween Half Marathon” on Sunday.
Bobby Graves, 35, who created travel content on the platform, was seen clutching his chest as he crossed the finish line around 7am on Sunday, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The marathon was held as triple-digit temperatures gripped Southern California this past weekend.
The high temperature on Sunday in Anaheim, where Disneyland is located, was 108 degrees Fahrenheit (42C), and the low was 72F (22C), according to AccuWeather.
Graves, who went by his middle name Caleb, expressed his concerns about running the race in the oppressive California heat, in a video posted a day before he died.
“I was outside for like 20 minutes walking my dog,” he says in the video, lying beneath a blanket. “Ten minutes later after I came back in, I just passed out.”
Graves said he grew up in Texas and was used to being active in hot weather, but noted that “the UV exposure with the heat in Southern California is its own kind of beast,” and chalked up his reaction to “heat exhaustion.”
He added: “I really hope I get through the race tomorrow morning.”
Graves loved the Disney parks and documented his travels there and elsewhere on his TikTok page, Calebgtravels.
Anaheim Police Sgt. Matt Sutter told the LA Times that Graves had no known medical conditions and was an experienced long-distance runner who often offered his audience advice on marathons.
“Anaheim fire and rescue personnel were on scene immediately and started giving lifesaving measures and transported them to the hospital,” Sutter said. “Unfortunately, they worked on him for about an hour, and he was pronounced deceased at the hospital.”
Earlier this year, Graves traveled to Florida to participate in Disney World's full marathon and half marathon races.
“We are deeply saddened by this tragic loss and our hearts are with Caleb’s family and loved ones during this difficult time,” Disneyland Resort spokesperson Jessica Good told the LA Times.
The Independent has requested comment from Disneyland.
Some parts of Southern California saw record-breaking temperatures over the weekend. Readings at the Hollywood Burbank Airport in Los Angeles matched the all-time high when temperatures hit 114F (46C) on Friday, according to the National Weather Service in Oxnard, California.
Downtown Los Angeles also recorded tying its previous high heat record when it logged 111F (44C) the same day. Records were set in Santa Anna, Newport Beach, and Ramona when they recorded 113F (45C), 95F(35C), and 114F(46C) temperatures, respectively.
