A 14-year-old Alabama student died Tuesday after he suffered a medical emergency during football practice at New Brockton High School.
The community is now mourning the loss of Semaj Wilkins who died just days after the new school year started at New Brockton.
“It is just something we have not seen here before,” New Brockton mayor Charles Schieffer told WTVY. “Everybody knows everybody. This will affect I think many people across the community. Not only in New Brockton, but associates in Enterprise also.”
The incident occurred as Wilkins and teammates were going through pre-practice warmups, at approximately 4:30 p.m. Wilkins suffered what was termed a 'medical emergency" and CPR was administered on the field. First responders arrived minutes later and continued treatments before transporting Wilkins to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The cause of death remains unclear, but the Coffee County Sheriff's Department is conducting an investigation into the death, which occurred on a day when temperatures reached 96 degrees, with a heat index of 100.
