Footballer, 27, dies of cardiac arrest after drinking a glass of cold water at end of match in Peru

A footballer from Peru recently died of a heart attack after drinking a post-match glass of cold water that prompted a rare cardiovascular reflex.

27-year-old Ludwin Florez had just finished playing with his local side Los Rangers in Sullana Province, northwest Peru, when he started to feel unwell and went home, according to local media.

His wife said he then drank a cool glass of water. ‘Shortly afterwards he started to have chest pains so I took him to a nearby clinic, but he died on the way,’ she said.
‘The doctor told me that he suffered a heart attack because he drank too much cold water while his body was still hot.’

It was later revealed that Ludwin suffered a rare cardiovascular reflex. The condition is considered rare when brought on by drinking a cool liquid, although microbial contaminants in water are known to bring on stomach cramps and other similar conditions. Arsenic in water, for example, can lead to headaches, stomach pains, convulsions, diarrhoea, vomiting, and even death.