Great Lakes recruit died during physical test run

Navy recruit Christopher Walker told officials at Great Lakes Naval Station he was feeling disoriented during a standard physical fitness test at the base, authorities said.

Moments later, medics were performing CPR on the 19-year-old from Kittanning, Pa. They could not save him.

Walker was in the middle of a 1½-mile run Wednesday morning during the final stages of his 8-week boot camp when he died, Great Lakes Recruit Training Command spokesman Mike Miller said Thursday.

The run was part of a physical fitness test that also involves sit-ups and push-ups, Miller said. It was the third such test the recruit had taken during his boot camp stay at the base near North Chicago.

Miller said a Navy medic was on hand during the test, and emergency services were contacted immediately after Walker went down.

Lake County Coroner Artis Yancey said a cause of death couldn’t be determined from an autopsy performed Thursday, so toxicology tests will be performed with a focus on Walker’s blood-sugar levels.

Yancey said the coroner’s officer has “a hunch” that Walker had undiagnosed diabetes. He said there was “absolutely no trauma” on Walker’s body, no signs of disease and no genetic-type defects such as a heart valve problem.

“This young man served his country and, by all accounts, was a nice, decent young man,” Yancey said.

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service is investigating to ensure all protocols were followed prior to Walker’s death, Miller said.

Walker enlisted in the Navy on Nov. 16 and was due to graduate from boot camp next week before moving on for follow-up training as a machinist mate, Miller said.

“Seaman Recruit Walker was an outstanding recruit,” said Capt. Steven Bethke, commanding officer of the Recruit Training Command. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to his entire family. His loss is felt by the entire Recruit Training Command staff.”

Walker was the only recruit to die after exercising in recent history, Miller said.

The last recruit death at the base was a 2008 suicide, Miller said.

This is the second time in less than three months that someone at Great Lakes died after taking part in physical exercise at the base.

A sailor died Oct. 17 at Great Lakes after collapsing while working out, officials said. He suffered from cardiovascular disease, the coroner’s office said.

Ÿ Daily Herald Staff Writer Russell Lissau contributed to this report.