Some Blacks Were Involved

Police arrest one suspect in connection to fentanyl-laced cocaine overdose that hospitalized six West Point cadets on spring break in Florida: Three remain hospitalized with two on ventilators in critical condition while one is stable

• Wilton Manors police have arrested a suspect in connection to the group of spring breakers who overdosed on cocaine laced with fentanyl Thursday night
• Six West Point Academy cadets, at least two of whom were football players, vacationing in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, during spring break were hospitalized after overdosing on fentanyl-laced cocaine 
• Police say four of the cadets took the drug and went into cardiac arrest, and the other two became exposed to it while performing mouth-to-mouth on their friends 
• A seventh individual was later taken to the hospital and treated, however it is unclear if she also overdosed
• Paramedics who responded to the scene at a vacation home used opioid-overdose-reversing drug naloxone - also known as Narcan - on the patients
• As of Friday, only three remained hospitalized with two on ventilators in critical condition while one is stable
• West Point representative said in a statement the military college was aware of the incident and investigating  
• Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic painkiller that is 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine
  

A suspect believed to be connected to the group of spring breakers who overdosed on cocaine laced with fentanyl was arrested in Florida, police confirmed to WSVN Friday night. 

Police in Wilton Manors, a city located in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale metro area, did not release the suspect's name or indicate their connection to the six West Point cadets who were hospitalized Thursday after overdosing on the drug. At least two of the students were football players at the military academy, located in New York. 

A seventh individual, only identified as a woman, was later taken to the hospital and treated, the Sun-Sentinel reported. It is unclear if she suffered an overdose or what condition she is in. It is also unknown if she attended West Point with the other patients.

As of late Friday, only three remained in the hospital, the TV station reported. Two were in critical condition and on ventilators. The other patient is said to be in stable condition.  

Two of the cadets had not ingested the drugs but were overcome by the effects of fentanyl when they attempted to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on their sickened friends, the Sun-Sentinel first reported on Friday. It is unknown where or how they obtained the drugs.

The students were staying in a short-term vacation rental home listed on VRBO for $360 per night. The 1,596-square-foot home features three bedrooms and two bathrooms, as well as a large backyard with a private pool, according to the listing, and is a 15-minute walk to the beach.  

The home was vacated of the renters by Friday evening, according to reports. It remains unclear if the suspect was staying at the rental property with the spring breakers.  

DailyMail.com reached to the U.S. Army Academy at West Point and was told by a representative that the prestigious military college was 'aware' of the incident in Florida involving its students. 

'The U.S. Military Academy is aware of the situation involving West Point cadets, which occurred Thursday night in Wilton Manors, FL,' a West Point spokesperson said in an email. 'The incident is currently under investigation and no other details are available at this time.' 

News helicopter video shows paramedics converging on the front yard of the short-term vacation rental home on NW 29th Court in Wilton Manors, where multiple people were found in cardiac arrest at 5 p.m. Thursday.

Footage from the scene shows first responders administering first aid and placing several individuals onto stretchers. 

Fort Lauderdale Fire Department Battalion Chief Steve Gollan told Local10 that two of the people who overdosed were sickened because they tried to perform CPR on the initial four overdose victims. He said the opioid-overdose-reversing drug naloxone, which is sold under the brand name Narcan, was administered to revive the victims. 

Neighbors described seeing the spring breakers being carried out of the rental home crowded with young vacationers. 

'We saw paramedics pulling the kids out of the house, unconscious, just laying them on the grass,' Dana Fumosa, who lives a few doors down, told NBC6.  

Neighborhood resident Cub Larkin, who also witnessed paramedics rescuing the students, said: 'We view our military at a much higher standard, and it was just completely heartbreaking.' 

Four of the patients were taken to Broward Health Medical Center, and the remaining two were transported to Holy Cross Hospital. 

'These are healthy young adults, college students in the prime of their life,' Gollan said. 'Getting this drug into their system, it’s unknown what the recovery will be on the critical individual.'

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

Neighbors in Wilton Manors told the Sun-Sentinel that the West Point cadets had been staying at the rental property for several days, and that on Wednesday night police were called for an unspecified reason. 

Two local residents said they have repeatedly complained to the managers of the vacation property about excessive noise and rowdy parties.  

'We’ve been hearing over the last couple of days, loud music, gatherings,' Fumosa told WSVN. 'It was guys and girls over there. They seemed to be having a good time barbecuing, and they were in the pool.' It is unclear if she complained about the travelers. 

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