UPDATE: Tracy man dies after recruiting workout
Jul 22, 2009 | 4426 views | 17 
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After a week in a coma, a Tracy man who was trying to make weight to join the U.S. Marines died Tuesday night from liver failure in a San Francisco hospital.
U.S. Marine Corps recruiters told Danny Ruf, 22, to drop 12 pounds to start basic training, according to Tim Durbin, a family friend. Ruf, who weighed about 184 pounds, was being treated at San Francisco’s Pacific Medical Center for possible kidney and liver failure after a workout with two recruiters.
Durbin said he found out about the death in a text message from Ruf’s mother, Audrey Ruf, at about 9 p.m. Tuesday. Capt. Warren Leong of the Marine Corps recruiting station in Sacramento confirmed Ruf’s death this morning.
“We have launched an investigation to determine exactly what happened,” Marine Corps public affairs official Major Chris Logan said. “It’s a horrible situation; whether it be a current or future Marine, it’s always difficult when someone is injured.”
Logan said recruiters have stayed in touch with Ruf’s family. He would not comment on the death, saying the Marines are waiting until they have all the information necessary, but he confirmed that Ruf collapsed while working out at a local gym.
Tracy police spokesman Lt. Jeremy Watney said the department is not actively investigating this case. He said if any evidence of criminal activity is discovered, the police will investigate, but right now it looks like “just a bad accident.”
Durbin said Ruf wasn’t overweight, noting that his build was like that of “a little bulldog.”
A press release sent out by Marine Corps spokesman Jason Bortz identified Ruf as a member of the delayed-entry program.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Ruf's family, and we are respecting their request for privacy,” Bortz said in the release.
Ruf signed up for the Marines a couple months ago after he was laid off from his job as a mechanic for General Motors when the company folded. He played soccer for two years at Tracy High School and graduated in 2006. Relatives and friends described Ruf as a caring guy who would do whatever he could to help out.
“Despite many challenges in his life, Danny always remained positive and he was determined to make the best of any situation,” his grandparents, Pius and Hildegard Ruf, said in an e-mail. “Once he set his goals, he would achieve them, often exceeding everyone’s expectations.”
Aside from hanging out with friends and family, Ruf enjoyed taking out his all-terrain vehicle and going off-roading.
“If I ever needed anything, he was right there for me,” said Jennifer Haggerty, a friend of Danny’s. “I think this was not his time. He was supposed to live longer than this. … He was there for his family and friends all the time.”
Durbin said Ruf weighed in on July 13 and started his workout the next day. Two Marine Corps recruiters were with him a local gym, running him on the treadmill and trying to have him sweat off some weight in the sauna. Durbin said the plan was for him to lose the 12 pounds by Monday, when he was supposed to enter basic training.
One of the recruiters noticed Ruf looked lightheaded during the workout, Durbin said, and asked him to sit on a bench and rest.
The recruiters left the room and returned to find Ruf unconscious. He was taken to Sutter Tracy Community Hospital by ambulance and was later transferred to Pacific Medical Center. According to Durbin, when paramedics got to Ruf, his body temperature was 108 degrees.
Durbin said the workout happened at the In-Shape Health Club at 101 S. Tracy Blvd., but the gym’s assistant general manager, Lea Leonardo, said it wasn’t at her location. The only other In-Shape Health Club in Tracy is at 239 W. 11th St. That gym’s general manager, David Sefton, said he could not discuss anything regarding Ruf’s workout or death.
Crystal Tolle, a friend of Audrey Ruf, said she has started an account at Bank of America at 3120 W. Grant Line Road to pay for the funeral. A Bank of America customer service representative confirmed the checking account for a funeral in Danny Ruf’s name and said the branch can be reached at 839-8159.
“He was a great kid and he had a good head on his shoulders,” Tolle said. “(He was) very polite, very concerned about his mom and everybody else.”
• Contact Tracy Press reporter Justin Lafferty at 830-4269 or jlafferty@tracypress.com.
U.S. Marine Corps recruiters told Danny Ruf, 22, to drop 12 pounds to start basic training, according to Tim Durbin, a family friend. Ruf, who weighed about 184 pounds, was being treated at San Francisco’s Pacific Medical Center for possible kidney and liver failure after a workout with two recruiters.
Durbin said he found out about the death in a text message from Ruf’s mother, Audrey Ruf, at about 9 p.m. Tuesday. Capt. Warren Leong of the Marine Corps recruiting station in Sacramento confirmed Ruf’s death this morning.
“We have launched an investigation to determine exactly what happened,” Marine Corps public affairs official Major Chris Logan said. “It’s a horrible situation; whether it be a current or future Marine, it’s always difficult when someone is injured.”
Logan said recruiters have stayed in touch with Ruf’s family. He would not comment on the death, saying the Marines are waiting until they have all the information necessary, but he confirmed that Ruf collapsed while working out at a local gym.
Tracy police spokesman Lt. Jeremy Watney said the department is not actively investigating this case. He said if any evidence of criminal activity is discovered, the police will investigate, but right now it looks like “just a bad accident.”
Durbin said Ruf wasn’t overweight, noting that his build was like that of “a little bulldog.”
A press release sent out by Marine Corps spokesman Jason Bortz identified Ruf as a member of the delayed-entry program.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Ruf's family, and we are respecting their request for privacy,” Bortz said in the release.
Ruf signed up for the Marines a couple months ago after he was laid off from his job as a mechanic for General Motors when the company folded. He played soccer for two years at Tracy High School and graduated in 2006. Relatives and friends described Ruf as a caring guy who would do whatever he could to help out.
“Despite many challenges in his life, Danny always remained positive and he was determined to make the best of any situation,” his grandparents, Pius and Hildegard Ruf, said in an e-mail. “Once he set his goals, he would achieve them, often exceeding everyone’s expectations.”
Aside from hanging out with friends and family, Ruf enjoyed taking out his all-terrain vehicle and going off-roading.
“If I ever needed anything, he was right there for me,” said Jennifer Haggerty, a friend of Danny’s. “I think this was not his time. He was supposed to live longer than this. … He was there for his family and friends all the time.”
Durbin said Ruf weighed in on July 13 and started his workout the next day. Two Marine Corps recruiters were with him a local gym, running him on the treadmill and trying to have him sweat off some weight in the sauna. Durbin said the plan was for him to lose the 12 pounds by Monday, when he was supposed to enter basic training.
One of the recruiters noticed Ruf looked lightheaded during the workout, Durbin said, and asked him to sit on a bench and rest.
The recruiters left the room and returned to find Ruf unconscious. He was taken to Sutter Tracy Community Hospital by ambulance and was later transferred to Pacific Medical Center. According to Durbin, when paramedics got to Ruf, his body temperature was 108 degrees.
Durbin said the workout happened at the In-Shape Health Club at 101 S. Tracy Blvd., but the gym’s assistant general manager, Lea Leonardo, said it wasn’t at her location. The only other In-Shape Health Club in Tracy is at 239 W. 11th St. That gym’s general manager, David Sefton, said he could not discuss anything regarding Ruf’s workout or death.
Crystal Tolle, a friend of Audrey Ruf, said she has started an account at Bank of America at 3120 W. Grant Line Road to pay for the funeral. A Bank of America customer service representative confirmed the checking account for a funeral in Danny Ruf’s name and said the branch can be reached at 839-8159.
“He was a great kid and he had a good head on his shoulders,” Tolle said. “(He was) very polite, very concerned about his mom and everybody else.”
• Contact Tracy Press reporter Justin Lafferty at 830-4269 or jlafferty@tracypress.com.
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Such a sad and painful read, hope the investigation will show the whole story of Recruitor's practice?
My first thought, about the weight, is that they usually lose it during basic training???
Recently I posted some very awful things about Danny’s Mom which I deeply regret. While I do not regret what I posted about Durbin, my timing and remarks were highly inappropriate and I want to publicly apologize to Audrey. I had read something in the above article with Durbin’s comments, knowing how Danny felt about Durbin, it struck a nerve with me and I lashed out and I am ashamed.
I was very close to Danny and I am so grateful that I had that time with him. I have known him since he was four years old; My first memory of Danny was when I got him a jibber jabber for his 5th Birthday and he promptly “bonked” me on the head with it!! Last month he went camping with us and kept challenging me to flip him off an inner tube while jet skiing, he said I couldn’t, but I did! Danny was a friend to all kinds of people, he could relate with anyone, heck, he even taught this 43 year old woman how to play beer pong!
As Danny grew up, he truly became such a “great guy”, just last month I was bragging about him to an aquaintance who knew him as a little kid. I am in shock and disbelief that he is gone and I will miss him more than I could possibly say.
My prayers and thoughts are with his family.
I wonder if he had a physical yet? Maybe if he had it might have caught some underlying condition?
Even while I was in the Marine's over 20 years ago. There was this really ridiculous requirement that you have a certain body build. Drill Instructors put me on a diet while I was in boot camp even though I wasn't over wieght. So they kind of take things into there own hands. They didn't like how I fit the uniform. Rather then bulk up the upper body they choose to make me diet. Well when I first got there I could pass the physical fittness test. But after two weeks on the D.I. imposed diet plan I was too weak to even do one pull up. Weeks later after being taken off the diet I got back up to the 8 dead hang pull ups that I came in with. And by the last P.F.T I was up to 20 and scored a 300 P.F.T. which was the best score you could get.
These people are not trained dietitians. There needs to be an overhall of the recruiting and instuction system.
Not everyone fits into there little mold.
But I doubt that will happen.
My condolenses to the family.
Account # 2542070749
Thanks so much to everyone who has been able to help.
R.I.P. DANNY. YOU WILL BE GREATLY MISSED....
There is more to this then what is being written about. Danny worked out and went to the gym, getting on a tredmill and getting on the bike for a total of 30min wont make you pass out. And it definitely wont cause kidney failure. I had seen Dan the day before he went to the gym and he looked bad, I even asked him if he was ok. Dan told me he had almost passed out that tuesday running with friends, and that they had even asked if he was ok. Before Dan even entered the gym that Wednesday im sorry to say he was already dead. Dan had problems with his family as we have read and even if he picked the Marine Corp as an escape it was his decision. He could have picked other branches but he chose the Marine Corp to better his life. I support the Marine Corp 110% its a shame that some people are making the USMC look bad, when these heros are the ones that fight for our country and our freedom. To the recruiters in tracy, im sorry this happened when all you were doing was watching him workout! Dan most of been on some diet pills or something else that damaged him so badly. Dan may you rest in peace.
I read both articles, but I didn't read where it stated he was having family problems and he ran to the Marines to escape. First of all, you need to wait until an autopsy is done before you start slandering this man saying he must have taken diet pills or something else to hurt his body.
My condolences to the family, may you find the peace you need to deal with your tragedy
RIP Danny!
ConcernedParents