NEWARK, N.J. (1010 WINS) — A 12-year-old boy collapsed and died at no-touch football practice in Newark last week, his family and school officials said Saturday.
Elijah Jordan Brown Garcia, a sixth grader at the KIPP Rise Academy, was running a drill at practice for the Essex County Predators youth football team on Feb. 10 at West Side Park when he collapsed.
No one at the practice performed CPR, and the boy’s family told ABC7 it took 30 minutes for EMS to arrive despite the fact that the Newark Police-Internal Affairs building is across from the field.
Elijah was eventually taken to University Hospital in Newark where he died.
The head coach had left before the incident, leaving an assistant coach and parents in charge.
The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association requires all coaches to hold a current CPR certification, but it’s unclear whether the Essex County Predators are a member of the organization.
Brown Garcia’s family is calling for all coaches involved in youth sports to learn CPR to avoid future tragedies.
A GoFundMe campaign for funeral expenses already raised $25,084, more than double the family’s $10,000 goal.
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