Mitchell Huggins, a beloved junior sports umpire in the Midlands, died while on duty during a heat wave. The 61-year-old passed away Saturday after being transported to a hospital, according to the Sumter County Coroner’s Office. His death was eventually determined to be the result of a heatstroke.
Huggins passed out while presiding over a softball competition at Patriot Park on Saturday afternoon, according to his sister Pamela Rufus, who spoke to WIS. She explained that she received the news over a phone call from her son.
Rufus said she was able to FaceTime her brother once he regained consciousness but he passed out again. Rufus said that Huggins acknowledged the heat but said that “he was going regardless” and that he was eager to umpire another competition.
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“He just did what he did. I don’t think he looked at temperature. He felt temperature, but he didn’t look at temperature,” Rufus said.
Huggins became ill during the June 21 event, which was organized by a group renting Patriot Park. He was taken to the hospital after 911 was called.
His sister, however, feels that his death might have been avoided.
“They said he was telling them, ‘It’s hot, it’s hot.’ I think with anybody with any conditions, rough conditions, that heat was not a good day for anybody,” Rufus recounted.
Rufus said that everyone on the pitch did everything they could to resuscitate her brother and that players and parents began praying for him. Huggins was later declared dead at the hospital.
The parents expressed their concerns to WIS, asking why the competition had been allowed to go on despite the severe weather.
Sumter County also issued a statement to WIS, saying, “We are aware of an unfortunate incident at Patriot Park during a recent softball tournament, and we would ask everyone to pray for the family of Mitch Huggins. We will keep the family of Mr. Huggins in our prayers.”
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Meanwhile, Rufus stated that her brother died doing what he loved: umpiring for kids on the diamond for almost a decade. She stated that some players would refer to Huggins as “Uncle Mitch” or “Mr. Mitch.”
“That was his whole passion…that was his second home,” she said. “He loved those kids.”
Huggins was deeply dedicated to his work with Top Gun athletics, a nonprofit organization dedicated to child athletics. Rufus described the organization as a second home for him.
Rufus also expressed her hope that Huggins’ death may raise awareness about excessive heat and illnesses. But in the end, she wants her brother to be celebrated for his passion for his work and concern for all of the children he officiated.
“He just loved the game,” she added.
Huggins’ life will be memorialized on Saturday, June 28 at the old Timmonsville High School, which is situated at 304 Kemper Street in Timmonsville.
The Sumter Fire Department’s Lt. Selena Smith told The Sumter Item that although some Southerners blame the heat on “our element,” it is a “serious issue.”
When the heat index rises above 100 degrees, prolonged exposure to or physical exertion in the sun raises the risk of heat exhaustion, heat cramps, and sunstroke. Everyone is impacted by extreme heat, but the CDC says that pregnant women, people with heart or lung conditions, older adults and younger children, people with mental health conditions and those taking SSRI antidepressants, athletes, outdoor construction workers, agricultural workers, and those without proper shelter are especially vulnerable.
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