Simon Katz, a 16-year-old junior at Chatfield High School, who was allergic to peanuts and had asthma, had a severe reaction after taking a bite of a s’more that contained peanut butter while at a campfire gathering at Chatfield High School on Sept. 21. The coroner’s office is investigating the teen’s death.
The boy’s father, David Katz, told The Denver Post on Sept. 23 that after eating a peanut butter-laden snack by mistake, Simon started to feel sick and his friends drove him home to retrieve his epinephrine auto-injectors.
Band Members Heartbroken
Upon arriving, his father told the Post that he administered epinephrine and drove the boy to urgent care. He said Simon went into anaphylactic shock on the way there. The boy died at 8:33 that evening.
Simon was an accomplished young musician, playing bass in a rock band called Boats Without Oars. The band posted a statement on Facebook about their friend and fellow bandmate:
“We are absolutely heartbroken. Our bassist, Simon Katz, passed away last night from anaphylactic shock. Simon, you were the most charismatic and amazing kid. You made every show we ever played special. This band would be nothing without you and you made this what it is.
We are going to finish the LP that we were working on for Simon and from that point on we have to discuss whether this project is going to continue. His bass tracks will be on the record. Please send love and support to Simon’s family. We love you buddy.”
A representative for Jefferson County School District, under which Chatfield falls, told the Denver Post that there are “no district-wide rules restricting peanuts at school events.”
Although fatal food allergy reactions are not common, they do occur more frequently in young people. In fact, just days before Simon died, 18-year-old Andrea Mariano also succumbed to anaphylaxis during her first week of university in eastern Ontario.
Related:
Simon Katz’s Friends on Guilt and Remorse about Allergy Tragedy
