Alabama High School Football Player Dies After Collapsing During Practice

An Alabama group is mourning the lack of a 14-year-old highschool soccer participant who collapsed throughout apply on Aug. 13, officers mentioned.

Semaj Wilkins, a freshman at New Brockton Excessive College, suffered a “medical emergency” throughout warmups for apply and collapsed round 4:30 p.m., Espresso County Coroner Arnold Woodham informed TODAY.com.

Wilkins was given CPR on the sector, and emergency responders arrived inside minutes, Woodham mentioned. Wilkins was taken to close by Medical Middle Enterprise, the place he was pronounced lifeless.

“It is dealt an actual blow to this small group,” Woodham mentioned. “I have been right here all my life and that is the primary time I’ve seen or heard of something like this occurring right here.”

“Semaj was a younger man who introduced pleasure and inspiration to his friends, teammates, coaches, and school members,” Espresso County Colleges Superintendent Kelly Cobb mentioned in an announcement shared Aug. 15 on Fb. “His loss shall be deeply felt by everybody who knew him.”

The reason for Wilkins’ demise is unclear. His physique has been despatched to the Alabama Division of Forensic Sciences for an post-mortem, and will probably be a number of weeks earlier than authorities obtain any outcomes, Woodham mentioned.

On the Dothan Regional Airport, positioned about 35 miles from New Brockton Excessive College, the temperature reached 96 levels with a warmth index of 100 on Aug. 13, in keeping with knowledge from the Nationwide Climate Service.

The Espresso County Sheriff’s Division and the District Lawyer’s Workplace are conducting an investigation after Wilkins’ demise, Cobb mentioned in an announcement shared to Fb Aug. 14.

A vigil is being held on the faculty’s soccer stadium on the night time of Aug. 16 in remembrance of Wilkins, Cobb mentioned in Thursday’s assertion.