An 11-year-old boy collapsed and died while playing basketball at a Massachusetts youth club.
George-Levi Njuguna was playing basketball at the Dana Barros Center on Washington Street in Stoughton – located 20 miles outside of Boston – when he mysteriously collapsed and died around 8pm on Tuesday.
Emergency services quickly arrived on scene and found the young boy unresponsive, according to Boston 25 News. They used a defibrillator and attempted resuscitation, but were unsuccessful.
‘Unfortunately, the 11-year-old boy didn’t make it,’ Stoughton Fire Chief Michael Carroll said.
George, who played on the DB Gladiators team, was transported to Good Samaritan Hospital in Brockton, where he was pronounced dead.
George-Levi Njuguna (pictured) was playing basketball at the Dana Barros Center on Washington Street in Stoughton – located 20 miles outside of Boston – when he mysteriously collapsed and died around 8pm on Tuesday
Emergency services quickly arrived on scene and found the young boy unresponsive. They used a defibrillator and attempted resuscitation, but were unsuccessful. He was transported to the Good Samaritan Hospital in Brockton, where he was pronounced dead
His cause of death is currently unknown. However, a large majority of sudden deaths in elementary and middle school athletes are cardiac-related, according to Boston 25 News.
However, Carroll said George had ‘no real cardiac issues historically’ and was a ‘normal, healthy child,’ according to Boston.com.
He wished his condolences to the family while they grieve this tragedy.
‘Running around and to all of a sudden have this happen, it has to be devastating,’ he told Boston 25 News. ‘I have three children myself and I couldn’t even…especially in a healthy environment, you know, playing basketball.’
The Dana Barros Basketball Club closed its facilities on Wednesday out of respect for the player, according to an Instagram post.
The club described George as a ‘beloved member’ and said they would not be providing more information at this time ‘out of respect to the family’s privacy.’
The Dana Barros Basketball Club closed its facilities on Wednesday out of respect for the player. George’s cause of death is currently unknown
Brockton Public Schools also confirmed the death of the sixth grader and said it was ‘deeply sadden by the passing.’
‘We’ve communicated with their family and the affected school community and will be making resources available for those who are impacted by this devastating loss,’ spokesperson Jordan Mayblum said, according to Boston.com.
Around 1,800 children die suddenly in the United States each year, mostly while they are asleep, according to the National Institute of Health.
Many children who face sudden death have genetic mutations can cause heart or seizure disorders, among other ailments.
The majority of sudden deaths in children occur during infancy.
