UPDATE (11:06 a.m.): Cottage Health reports that a total of 25 participants in the Santa Barbara Half Marathon and 5K were treated Sunday at Cottage emergency departments in Santa Barbara and Goleta.
Cottage reports that 18 of the patients have been discharged.
Patients still being treated are said to be “stable,” according to the hospital.
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ORIGINAL STORY: The Santa Barbara Police Department is urging anyone who became ill during Sunday’s half marathon to contact its criminal investigation unit.
A Cottage Health spokesperson told KSBY that at least 19 people went to area emergency departments after participating in the race, but then became ill.
KSBY reporter Jessica Roe contacted the police department early Monday morning to find out why the criminal investigation team is “on the spot” for this case, and if they can share any information about the “suspicious circumstances” she shared in a press release, which said in part: “If you have any information or participated in the marathon and experienced any unusual symptoms afterward, please contact Sergeant Andre Miller at 805-897-2330.”
Roe also submitted an inquiry to the Santa Barbara Public Health Department to find out what role he is playing in the investigation.
Half marathon event director David Monico said in a statement to KSBY Sunday evening:
“Working with our medical team, symptoms at the time of transport were not uncommon during an endurance event on a hot day. This is not to diminish the severity of an individual being transported to the hospital. Our team’s goal, as with any endurance event production, is to get people home safely. We hope that each of the participants returns safely to their family and friends.”
If you have experienced symptoms or would like to share information with KSBY News, you can email us at news@ksby.com.
This is a developing story, and KSBY will continue to provide updates at this link as we become aware of new information.
Gn sports
