GEORGETOWN, Del. - Seven patients were treated after high temperatures affected attendees at Sussex Central High School's graduation Saturday morning, according to Sussex County EMS.
The agency said three patients were taken to the hospital, and four refused to be transported. Video shared with CoastTV News showed emergency crews at the school during the graduation, including Sussex County EMS, Georgetown EMS, and the Millsboro Fire Company.
Giovanni Tiano, class president and recent Sussex Central graduate, said the heat became a concern during the ceremony.
"It was kind of unexpected to have the sun glaring down on us that badly," Tiano said. "I know some of us checked the weather, but I wasn't expecting it to be that bad."
Tiano also described what graduates were wearing during the ceremony.
"We're all walking out at the same time, and we had... our graduation gowns, and a lot of us had pants. We were required to wear pants and shirts, sometimes with ties, so it was really hot," Tiano noted.
The district said water bottles were provided to graduates and staff before and during the ceremony.
"I feel like I was hot and I was sweating, but not too much to where I felt the need to pass out. I had water, so I was fine," Tiano added. "When we were walking out of the building, they had water for us to grab if we wanted to."
The district also said families were contacted before the ceremony about the expected warm temperatures and encouraged to bring water, especially those who were sensitive to heat.
Shannon Saunders, the aunt of one of the graduates, said she got there at 10:45 a.m. and left around noon.
"I had on a sunhat, and I had a fan and everything, so I was fine because I was prepared, and I had already hydrated myself," Saunders explained.
Saunders said she arrived after one student was already being treated.
"I got there a little bit late, and they told me, 'One of the students was being carted off the field.' I said, 'What happened?' and they said, '[A student] passed out,' and then it was another one," Saunders noted.
The Indian River School District (IRSD) told CoastTV News it was aware some people had an adverse reaction to the excessive heat during the graduation ceremony.
"Whenever possible, we prefer to hold our graduation exercises outside in the school stadium, as the larger seating capacity allows for more family members to attend. It was certainly not our intention to put any of our students, family members or spectators at risk during Saturday's event, and for that we sincerely apologize. IRSD would also like to thank the emergency medical personnel that were on site to attend to those that were affected by the heat," the district said in a statement to CoastTV News.
Saunders talked about the graduation being cut short.
"I do command my alma mater for cutting the graduation short because of the emergencies, because it became so great that, as you can see, like from my video, they had to bring in other neighboring towns to help with the emergencies, because there were so many people, it was so hot that they were passing out," Saunders added.
Tiano told CoastTV News some people started leaving before the ceremony ended.
"Before everyone was getting their diplomas, about halfway through, people, parents started coming onto the field, and students in the crowd that had already received their diplomas were leaving and going with their parents. It wasn't very, very respectful, and it was a little ignorant, but I understand to some extent why people were doing it because of the heat," Tiano explained.
Saunders described the graduation for her family.
"Everything was a pretty horrific graduation. It was one for my nephew, definitely to remember and us, as family members," Saunders explained. "It really was a pretty terrible experience for the graduates and their families."
Saunders also spoke about the school staff during the ceremony.
"I was disheartened by how it happened, and maybe they could have chosen a different time, but how the staff came together was amazing to me," Saunders noted.
The Indian River School District told CoastTV News it is evaluating procedures for future graduations, including the possibility of holding evening ceremonies or moving them indoors.
