Thousands of fans endured record-cold temperatures and wind chills to watch the Kansas City Chiefs host the Miami Dolphins in the 2024 NFL playoffs. Now, some of them are facing potential amputations as a result of frostbite, according to Fox 4 News.
Dr. Megan L. Garcia, a general surgeon at Kansas City's Grossman Burn Center, told Fox 4 this week that 70% of the medical center's patients referred for frostbite injuries suffered at the January wild-card game are "being advised to schedule amputations." This comes months after Garcia indicated she'd already seen dozens of frostbitten patients as a result of the game's conditions.
The Jan. 13 matchup kicked off with a -4 degree temperature and -27 degree wind chills at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, making the contest the fourth-coldest ever recorded in NFL history, and the coldest in Chiefs history. Immediately following the game, reports indicated at least 10 fans had been hospitalized with either frostbite or hypothermia.
NBC Sports noted in January that the NFL currently has no threshold for postponing or cancelling games due to low temperatures.
