Yahshua Robinson, 12, died during gym in class at Canyon Lake Middle School in California after being forced to run for wearing the wrong clothes, family say

A 12-year-old boy from California begged for water and help before collapsing and dying during gym class after being forced to run in the 90-degree California heat because he was wearing the wrong clothes.

Yahshua “YaYa” Robinson, a high school senior at Canyon Lake Middle School in Lake Elsinore, Calif., fell onto the field around 11 a.m. Tuesday and became unresponsive. When emergency services arrived, they rushed him to hospital, but the young boy went into cardiac arrest and died.

Amarna Plummer, the boy’s aunt, told her NBC Los Angeles Robinson had not dressed for his physical education class and was told to run for not doing so, and then began to feel ill.

A devastated Plummer said, “He contacted the teacher and said he needs some water. He said he couldn’t breathe. He told this to the children.’

She said his condition got worse and he passed out on the field.

The boy’s distraught aunt, Amarna Plummer (pictured), told NBC Los Angeles that Robinson hadn’t dressed for his physical education class and had to run because he didn’t, then started feeling sick

Canyon Lake Middle School is the site of Tuesday’s tragedy. The Lake Elsinore Unified School District released a statement, stating in part that they are “deeply saddened to confirm the death of one of our students due to a medical emergency.”

Plummer, who said the boy’s grief-stricken parents are devastated and furious, asked, “Why would you let a child in his clothes—he hadn’t dressed—run across a field?”

The family noted on a GoFundMe page that the extreme temperatures resulting from a heat wave that hit parts of Southern California may have been a factor in their son’s death.

When their son was on the field, temperatures soared into the low to mid 90s. Plummer said her sister-in-law and Robinson’s mother are physical education instructors in another school district.

Plummer said Robinson’s mother warned school administrators about the dangerous heat, though it’s unclear which administrators she spoke to, the news channel reported.

According to Plummer, she informed the administration, “Don’t let kids go outside for gym today.” And what happened? She gets a call that he passed out on the field.’

She claims that someone should be held responsible for her relative’s death.

‘This is terrible. It happened under someone else’s supervision,” Plummer added.

On August 9, the new school year had just started.

Robinson’s parents and three siblings are trying to come to terms with his untimely death, saying in a statement they are “still in shock and disbelief.”

They called their son “smart, talented and a loving child who had a bright future ahead of him.”

A family attorney and spokesperson, Christina Laster, issued a statement. She wrote in part. “We know that Yahshua was loved by many, and we appreciate everyone who helps us cope with his loss,” the statement read in part. “We’re struggling to understand why this happened.”

A family spokesperson issued a statement on behalf of Robinson’s heartbroken family

A GoFundMe has been set up to help the family pay for funeral expenses

Community members were saddened by the death of the youngster and the high school senior as well mental health and bereavement counselors on standby for students and staff.

The family is still awaiting the official autopsy report, according to the Lake Elsinore Unified School District.

“At this difficult time, we are deeply saddened to confirm the death of one of our students due to a medical emergency on one of our LEUSD campuses. Our hearts are with the family, friends and our school community. This is a time of great sorrow for the entire community,” the district said in part.

The family expressed its gratitude to the community. Plummer created one GoFundMe to help the family with her cousin’s funeral expenses. As of Thursday morning, nearly $34,000 has been raised towards their goal of $40,000.

“The void left by Yahshua is deep. Janae and Eric Robinson and their three other children are trying to come to terms with this devastating reality,” the page read.

“The pain of losing a child is indescribable, and as we await the autopsy results, we are reminded of the unpredictability of life.

“At times like these, we as a community can come together to support each other. We humbly ask for your help to ease the financial strain this sudden tragedy has placed on Yahshua’s family.”

“Whether large or small, each contribution will serve as a testament to the fond memory of Yahshua and the impact he made in his short time with us.”

“We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for standing with the Robinson family, for being their beacon of hope and for showing that love and compassion remain resilient even in the face of overwhelming grief.”