Army football player among 7 hospitalized after overdoes on fentanyl-laced cocaine

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Two members of Army’s football program were involved in a drug-related incident Thursday during Spring Break at a Florida Airbnb vacation house.

CBS Sports reports six individuals, including an unnamed Army football player, were hospitalized after being found unconscious from overdosing on fentanyl-laced cocaine. The responding police agency, Wilton Manors Police Department, said in a news release that a seventh individual was later taken to the hospital.

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Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue Battalion Chief Steve Gollan said that after two individuals collapsed, two others became ill while trying to give them CPR from the residue on their bodies, The Associated Press reports. When paramedics arrived, six people at the home needed treatment and Gollan said the opioid-overdose-reversing drug naloxone was administered.

A general view of the Army Black Knights endzone logo prior to the 122nd Army/Navy college football game between the Army Black Knights and the Navy Midshipmen on December 11, 2021 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.   (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Two individuals remain in critical condition and on ventilators as of Friday, while three are in stable condition and one has been released, The AP reports. It is not known at this time the status of the football player, but two of the six individuals who overdosed are confirmed to be students at the U.S. Military Academy.

"The U.S. Military Academy is aware of the situation involving West Point cadets, which occurred Thursday night in Wilton Manors, FL," Army said in a statement to the South Florida Sun Sentinel. "The incident is currently under investigation and no other details are available at this time."

Another Army football player was at the house during the incident but is unharmed, The AP reports.

Fentanyl is a strong synthetic painkiller blamed for driving an increase in fatal drug overdoses — it’s 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine and is used to treat severe pain, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. It also slows a person’s breathing and heart rate.

An Army Black Knights helicopter flyover prior to the college football game between the Army Black Knights and the Miami (Oh) Redhawks on September 25, 2021 at Michie Stadium in West Point, NY.    (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The CDC says the most recent cases of fentanyl-related harm, overdose, and death in the U.S. are linked to illegally made fentanyl.

On Friday, Wilton Manors Police Department released a statement that an arrest was made in connection with the incident. It is not known at this time who was arrested or on what charges.

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"Investigators from the Wilton Manors Police Department and Broward County Sheriffs Office continue investigating this incident and have made an arrest in connection to this incident," the Friday statement reads. "Additional information regarding this incident and arrest will be provided when it becomes available."

A game worn Army branded helmet with Ranger tabs on display during the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl game between the Army Black Knights and the Missouri Tigers on Wednesday December 22, 2021 in Ft. Worth, Texas  (Photo by Nick Tre. Smith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

"At this time, the investigation has revealed the involved patients are college students on spring break from the State of New York and were at the residence Identified as a vacation rental," the statement reads. "This incident serves as a stark reminder to all, especially those visiting for Spring Break, of the deadly impacts of Fentanyl. This synthetic opioid continues to have detrimental impacts on many communities, and our agency remains committed to drug prevention and intervention initiatives. Our agency also remains committed to investigating and prosecuting acts of illegal drug activity."