Charles L Gischlar, deputy director of media relations for the Maryland Department of Health, issued a statement after receiving the information from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
“The cause of death for Mr. Forney is sudden cardiac death in the setting of multiple cardiac anomalies, and the manner of death is natural,” Gischlar said.
Forney, a first class midshipman at the Naval Academy, suffered the heart attack on Feb. 20 in his dormitory room at Bancroft Hall. The 22-year-old Walkersville resident was found unresponsive by his roommates.
A CPR-certified midshipman administered resuscitation efforts at the recommendation of first responders en route to Bancroft Hall.