A TikTok star passed away over the weekend in a truly shocking moment at the Happiest Place On Earth.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Caleb Graves crossed the finish line at the 2024 Disneyland Halloween Half Marathon at the theme park in Anaheim, California, on Sunday at 7:00 a.m. What should have been a joyous moment turned instantly terrifying as it was reported a runner required medical assistance. Anaheim Police Department public information officer Sergeant Matt Sutter further explained a staff member noticed Caleb was “clutching his chest” as soon as he finished the race:
“The runner crossed the finish line. As soon as he did, one of the workers at the marathon noticed the gentleman was clutching his chest. They noticed he was going into cardiac arrest.”
Sutter said Anaheim Fire & Rescue teams assisted Caleb. He was taken to the Anaheim Global Medical Center — but he unfortunately did not make it. He was pronounced dead about an hour later. Heartbreaking. The exact cause of death is unknown at this time. He was 33.
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Caleb — who had over 18,000 followers on his TikTok account where he posted content about the Disney parks and films — expressed concern about the brutal heat in Southern California just one day before the marathon. In a video picking up his race number before the event, he first reminded his fellow runners that “it will be HOT” on race day, adding:
“Stay hydrated and listen to your body. Good luck to all the runners!”
@calebgtravels Disney Halloween Half Marathon Weekend is here! ???? Hit the runDisney race weekend expo this morning to grab my bib, shop a little merch, and get hype for the Sunday race! If you’re running this weekend, remember it will be HOT! Stay hydrated and listen to your body. Good luck to all the runners! #disney #rundisney #disneyland #disneyparks #halloween #halloweenhalfmarathon #run
In a follow-up clip, Caleb said he was “worried” about the race due to the heat:
“Disneyland Half Marathon – the Halloween Half Marathon – is tomorrow and I’m marginally worried now. … I have, maybe, some susceptibility – I don’t know if it’s temporary or long-term – to heat because I was outside for, like, 20 minutes walking my dog, just walking around the block. It was hot, but I felt fine when I came in.”
However, the social media personality was not “fine.” Ten minutes later, he “passed out!” OMG! That was how bad the heat was at the time! Caleb continued:
“And then, like, 10 minutes after I got back in, I just passed out, fell asleep, no control over my body. It was heat exhaustion, ’cause it’s only happened once to me before.”
And what he said next is haunting, Perezcious readers. Caleb said:
“I really hope I get through the race tomorrow morning. The fact that it’s early will help me out because it’s not cute to just lose control of your body, just fall asleep like that.”
@calebgtravels Disneyland Halloween half mararhon is tomorrow and this heat got me looking crazy #disney #rundisney #disneyland #disneyparks #run
While the content creator did make it across the finish line, he sadly did not get to celebrate the accomplishment with his fellow racers. Just awful.
Temperatures on Sunday reached 107 degrees, per the Weather Channel, though Sutter noted to Entertainment Weekly it is unclear if the heat factored into Caleb’s death. The Orange County Sheriff-Coroner Department is now investigating what happened. Disneyland Resort spokesperson Jessica Good said about his passing:
“We are deeply saddened by this tragic loss, and our hearts are with Caleb’s family and loved ones during this difficult time.”
In addition to being a TikToker, his website says he was “a writer, director, screenwriter and producer” who liked to “run, travel and eat donuts.” He released a poetry book called love, and other love on July 10. Caleb was also a litigation associate at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, per its website.
He was so, so young. What a tragedy. Our hearts go out to his loved ones. Reactions? Let us know in the comments.
[Image via Caleb Graves/TikTok/Instagram]
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