'SWEAT' RITUAL MAN DIED OF HEATSTROKE - INQUEST

Source: 1996 The Press Association Limited
Press Association
Thursday, November 21, 1996

A scientist died of heatstroke during a Red Indian ritual in a tepee-style tent, an inquest was told today. Gordon Reynolds, 43, joined a group of worshippers in an ancientnative American tribal custom called a "sweat lodge" - a form ofspiritual prayer - deep in the English countryside. They sat semi-naked for 90 minutes in a dark, enclosed tent andchanted prayers while water was poured on red hot stones to create asauna effect. But the heat became too intense for his body and he collapsed anddied of hyperthermia. Coroner Nicholas Rheinberg recorded a verdict of accidental death at the inquest in Wells, Somerset. He warned: "It is very important if people are going to subjectthemselves to rigours and gruelling regimes like this for a period oftime that they should be satisfied that they are in good medicalcondition. "As far as possible, it is advisable that those people who organisethese events should at least draw people's attention to the need tocheck their health." Mr Reynolds' widow Penny said: "To spend hours in a sweat lodge sitting cramped in the dark, without any idea of time, is literally playing with fire. "Gordon must not die in vain. His death must serve as a warning.There must be safeguards and restrictions to protect people infuture." Hospital haematologist Mr Reynolds, a father of two, joined 10 friends in the weekend ceremony at a remote farm in Priddy, near Wells, in August. The participants dressed in towels and sat cross-legged in a circle in a tepee-style tent. In the centre of the group was a pile of red-hot stones, on whichwater was regularly thrown to create a sauna effect. The custom, accompanied by chanted prayer, is believed to helppeople achieve spiritual and physical cleansing. When Mr Reynolds, of Twickenham, south-west London, emerged from the 90-minute session, he felt faint, collapsed and died shortly afterwards.

Consultant pathologist Dr Lyn Hirchowitz, who carried out a postmortem examination, told the inquest he had a history of heart disease butthat was not the cause of his death. She said: "My findings are consistent with him dying of hyperthermiaor heatstroke." Event organiser Juliet Gamester said: "Inside the tent, he appeared to be very relaxed and happy, extremely calm within himself. "He took part in and told many prayers. But when he came out, he told me he felt faint." Mr Reynolds' friend Raymond Bailey, who was also at the ceremony, said: "We tried to revive him but to no avail. He collapsed without warning. He just fell down without a sound." Mr Rheinberg said: "This was quite clearly not an intended result of Mr Reynolds' participation in the event that they have described. "I am satisfied that his death was accidental." After the inquest, Mrs Reynolds said: "We are not red men. We don't have their conditioning or their years of training. "Gordon loved life. He would be alive today if he had not gone to that sweat lodge and our two sons would still have a father. "Gordon loved exploring different cultures and religions. He was interested in this ancient culture but was no New Age crank. "The bottom line is that sweat lodges kill. They are playing withfire and Gordon got burned." Mother-of-five Penny Butterell had let the group use her two-acrepaddock at Laurel Farm on the Mendip Hills for three years prior toMr Reynolds' death. She said after the inquest: "Some of the group were obviously upsetbecause he was a personal friend. "But they actually felt priviliged to be around when he 'left'. "It's not often somebody gets that nice a way of going - to betotally prepared, out in the open with the stars. "It was his time to go and he went. He was quiet and totallyhappy."