Pasadena high school student dies after collapsing on campus

PASADENA, TX (KTRK) -- A Pasadena ISD student has died after collapsing at a high school campus.

According to the school district, 16-year-old Pasadena High School junior Eric Medina Jr. collapsed while running on the track during PE Friday. According to one of his basketball teammates, Medina was running track with the team and was on his fourth lap.

"The last one, he was running and we were just motivating him. 'You got this, you got this.' He started running faster and then he just collapsed," said Joshua Martinez, 17.

"It was traumatizing to me," said Martinez. "He was just like having a seizure or something, twitching."

Pasadena ISD spokeswoman Renea Ivy said campus staff started CPR on him. Another staff members ran to get a defibrillator or AED. According to the district, Medina regained consciousness for a short time and then collapsed again. When the coaches tried to finally use the AED, they received a message from the machine to not shock him. The AED detected a heartbeat. Paramedics arrived and transported him to Bayshore Medical Center, where Medina Jr. died.

"When our coach said that Eric passed away, everyone just started crying. It just hurt my heart. It sank," said Martinez.

"This is really a tragic situation today," Pasadena ISD spokeswoman Renea Ivy. "Certainly the district, our teachers and administrators offer our deepest sympathy and concern and prayers for this family who suffered a horrible loss."

The district says counselors will be on campus next week for students and staff.

Ivy said Medina had a clean physical on file to play basketball and had no symptoms of being ill Friday morning. On Twitter, Medina last posted that he was excited to celebrate his birthday in the next few days.

A vigil is scheduled at the Pasadena track where Medina collapsed Saturday evening.