Iowa Marching Band Member from Peosta Dies After Heat-Related Collapse on Saturday

(Iowa City, IA) -- A University of Iowa student and Hawkeye Marching Band member from Peosta has died after collapsing in the heat on Saturday. According to a post from his family, Derek Phillips, the band's mellophone section leader, suffered a sudden cardiac arrest as temperatures climbed into the 90s with a heat index above 100. Phillips. a 2024 graduate from Western Dubuque, was taken to University of Iowa Health Care, where doctors determined he had suffered severe brain damage. His family later made the decision to remove him from life support. The Hawkeye Marching Band canceled its halftime performance because of the extreme heat. In a statement, the band said it will honor Phillips throughout the remainder of the season and will release more information at a later date.