Knox MacEwen, Miramar, Florida teen suffers mystery fatal cardiac arrest participating in 5K race at Everglades High School.
A 14-year-old teen died over the weekend while running a 5K race at a Florida high school as the boy’s family now struggle to come to terms with his mysterious death.
Knox MacEwen went into cardiac arrest during the running event at Everglades High School, Saturday morning, Miramar police told NBC6-South Florida.
Emergency personnel got to the high school at about 9 a.m. and rushed MacEwen to Memorial Miramar, but he couldn’t be saved. Knox was later pronounced dead in the hospital.
Understanding cardiac arrest
According to the Mayo Clinic, cardiac arrest, also referred to as sudden cardiac arrest, is the sudden cessation of heart function brought on by an issue with the heart’s electrical system. As a result, the heart’s pumping function is interfered with, stopping the body’s blood flow. If the right actions aren’t done right away, it could be fatal.
A person suffering a cardiac arrest can experience immediate and drastic symptoms like sudden collapse, no pulse, no breathing, and a loss of consciousness. Warning signs can include chest discomfort, shortness of breath, weakness and a heart palpitations.
It continued to remain unclear how the teen runner came to suffer a cardiac arrest.
A previous report told of roughly 2000 young teens dying of sudden cardiac arrest in the United States. The report cited studies (see video below) showing that sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death in student athletes during exercise.
Teen runner remembered
The boy was a student at Western High School in Davie and was running for a JROTC (Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps) exercise.
The high school principal announced his death to the school community and said grief counselors would be available for students on campus throughout the week.
‘One of our JROTC students passed away this morning after being transported to the hospital. I want to offer my deepest condolences to his family and loved ones, teachers, and classmates as they mourn this great loss,’ Western High Principal Jimmy Arrojo said in a message obtained by NBC6.
MacEwen’s pastor at Crossway Church in Cooper City said the teen was loved by many, making his death a far-reaching and devastating loss.
‘Knox’s dad said to me a couple of days ago, that Knox was the best of us, and I love that phrase because if you knew Knox, that’s who he was, right, this is a teenager who when you think about him, you think of a loving kid, a caring kid, a funny kid,’ Pastor Jon Elswick said.
A friend of the family launched a GoFundMe that raised more than $68,000 which will be donated to the family to help with funeral expenses and allow the child’s parents to take time off to grieve.
The GoFundMe description also notes that the teen’s mother, Julie, ‘is still physically and financially recovering from a hard-fought battle with cancer this last year.’
