Student Athlete, 14, Dies Days After Suffering Medical Emergency at Wrestling Practice: He Was ‘Smart, Kind and Respectful’

A 14-year-old student athlete has died, days after he suffered a medical emergency during wrestling practice.

Lucas McGee, a member of the wrestling team at Mentor High School in Ohio, died on Oct. 9. He previously collapsed during conditioning practice on Sept. 29, the school’s wrestling team said in a post shared on social media.

The teen suffered a “medical emergency” and had to be transported by an air ambulance to the main campus of the nearby Cleveland Clinic, the team added.

Lucas’ parents told FOX 8 News their son was running during practice when he suddenly collapsed and stopped breathing.

“The cross country coach noticed and immediately started CPR, while other people stood by and dialed 911 and from what I understand, there was a three-minute response time from the Mentor Fire Department,” Lucas’ father, David McGee, told the outlet. “I went down on my knees and I grabbed his feet with my hands and they were ice cold and I just started praying that God would intervene and they got his heart started again.”

David recalled that his son had a sore throat in the days leading up to the incident. The teen later tested positive for Rhinovirus, which is described by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as “the most frequent cause of the common cold and are a common viral trigger for asthma attacks.”

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After Lucas’ death, Mentor Schools said mental health professionals from the Lake County Trauma Response Team would be available to support grieving students and staff.

“Lucas will be remembered for his warm personality, kind spirit, quiet strength, and unwavering sense of humor that made him a wonderful friend and classmate,” the educational institution wrote in an Oct. 10 statement shared on Facebook.

The school added of Lucas: “He was always smiling and happy, yet determined, hardworking, and willing to put in the extra effort to achieve his goals — both in the classroom and in athletics. His teachers describe him as driven, smart, kind, and respectful — someone who led by example and faced every challenge with a positive attitude.”

“He displayed grace and good sportsmanship, treated people well, and will always be known for lifting up everyone around him,” the school continued, concluding: “Lucas will be greatly missed, and our deepest sympathy is with his family and friends.”