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BESSEMER CITY, N.C. (Aug. 20) - An 8-year-old boy collapsed and stopped breathing while doing exercises at the start of football practice Friday evening, and was pronounced dead a short time later at a hospital.

Matthew Surcy had no known medical problems and had spent the summer playing football, riding his bicycle and in other childhood pursuits.

"He was your typical kid," said his mother, Susan. "He wanted summer to last all year long."

Matthew collapsed as he exercised with teammates at the start of a 6 p.m. practice at Carr Elementary School, his family said. An emergency call reporting an unconscious child was logged at 6:07 p.m., said Tommy Cleary, operations supervisor for Gaston Emergency Medical Services.

The high temperature in the area Friday was 93 degrees, but it was unclear whether heat was a factor.

"It was not from a traumatic event. He was not tackled or hit or anything like that. He just collapsed while doing exercises," Cleary said.

Coaches and staff on the scene began trying to revive the boy before emergency crews arrived and took over. He was pronounced dead at Gaston Memorial Hospital shortly before 7pn

assiotated press, Aol. news

kmhowe72 wrote: BESSEMER CITY, N.C. (Aug. 20) - An 8-year-old boy collapsed and stopped breathing while doing exercises at the start of football practice Friday evening, and was pronounced dead a short time later at a hospital.

Matthew Surcy had no known medical problems and had spent the summer playing football, riding his bicycle and in other childhood pursuits.

"He was your typical kid," said his mother, Susan. "He wanted summer to last all year long."

Matthew collapsed as he exercised with teammates at the start of a 6 p.m. practice at Carr Elementary School, his family said. An emergency call reporting an unconscious child was logged at 6:07 p.m., said Tommy Cleary, operations supervisor for Gaston Emergency Medical Services.

The high temperature in the area Friday was 93 degrees, but it was unclear whether heat was a factor.

"It was not from a traumatic event. He was not tackled or hit or anything like that. He just collapsed while doing exercises," Cleary said.

Coaches and staff on the scene began trying to revive the boy before emergency crews arrived and took over. He was pronounced dead at Gaston Memorial Hospital shortly before 7pn

assiotated press, Aol. news


We can't even begin to imagine what those poor parents are going through. How tragic.

:-1 How tragic. It was probably from the heat, or some rare medical condition they never knew he had, he was only 8 years olds their bodies core heat climbs so fast, if he was in full uniform who knows..:-1

8 yr old Pop Warner league is not so important that those little guys should be practicing in that heat. Whether the heat was a factor in his death or not, those kids are too little to put their bodies through that. Surely there was an air-conditioned gym nearby.

How horrible for the family. I agree, even for older ones, that practicing in the heat is crazy. Our high school was practicing the other day in the afternoon when the heat was at it's worse. It's just not worth the risk.