COLUMBUS, GA (WTVM) –
The funeral for Antwon Whitehead will take place at Carver High School this Saturday, September 14, 2013 at 1:30 p.m. There will also be a viewing on Friday, September 13, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Charles E. Huff’s Funeral Home, 927 5th Avenue.
The family has set up a donation fund at Wells Fargo under the name Antwon Whitehead in order to help afford the cost of the funeral, according to Whitehead’s Aunt, Sylvia Whitehead-Mitchell.
Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan confirmed that 15-year-old Antwon Whitehead of Columbus, Ga. collapsed and died while playing open court basketball at Carver High School on September 7, 2013.
A witness said Whitehead performed a dunk shot inside of the gym at Carver High School, then suddenly needed to sit down. When he sat on the bench, his body went stiff, his head tilted, and he fell over.
A coach tried to perform CPR, but was unsuccessful, according to the witness.
EMS received the phone call at 2:45 p.m. that Whitehead had collapsed on the basketball court. Whitehead was pronounced dead at 4:10 p.m. at Columbus Regional Medical Center.
Bryan says the cause of death is cardiac arrest, and that Whitehead had an extremely enlarged heart.
At the Sept. 9 school board meeting, boardmember Rob Varner made the following remarks about Whitehead:
“There was a very sad event at Carver High School over the weekend with the loss of Antwon Whitehead, who apparently was a very exceptional young man, exceptional student and terrific athlete. Tragically, he passed away, and I just think it’s important for us to lift his name up in this meeting. To the family and the community: I’d just like to express how terribly sorry we are. That loss is just irreplaceable, it’s tragic, it’s hurtful and it’s sad, and there’s nothing more that can be said. I think this board just wants to say to the family and to the Carver community, and the community as a whole, how sorry we are for that loss. We lift you up in our thoughts and prayers as you go through these challenging times and you think about the loss of your son.”
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