OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — An Omaha South High School student passed away during football practice on Tuesday.
RELATED: Family of Omaha football player who collapsed during practice & later died call for change
According to his older sister, Drake Geiger collapsed during football practice and was rushed to UNMC "with CPR being performed." The boy was 16-years-old and an incoming junior.
She added, "They began to try other procedures to try and revive him...with great sadness they were not able to save him."
Hoffman told us that they are assuming he collapsed from heatstroke, but that isn't an official cause of death. Our weather team says that the peak heat index was 106 with a high temperature of 92 degrees on Tuesday.
Drake's father told 3 News Now that the players were not wearing pads or helmets during practice and he believes the team was following guidelines for practicing in the heat, including practicing for 10 minutes at a time with 5-minute breaks in between. He said that practice started at 4 p.m. and the 911 call to first responders happened at 4:45 p.m.
The principal of Omaha South, Jodi Pesek, shared a statement on Wednesday.
Dear South High Community,
We are deeply saddened to share that 11th-grade student Drake Geiger died unexpectedly last evening. We have been in contact with Drake’s family and conveyed our heartfelt sympathy and support.
Many in our community will be affected by this news. South High is a tight-knit community, and we are here for one another. Students may want to talk with you about their feelings. You may see behavior changes in students: loss of concentration, physical complaints or regression. These are common reactions associated with the grieving process. Talking about those feelings and listening attentively will help students and staff cope with such a tragic event. We have attached an additional resource to help.
We will have counselors available at South High from 1 to 4 p.m. to talk with students who need to. If you have any concerns about your student’s reaction to this loss, please contact school counselors or our administrative staff.
Please keep the family in your thoughts during this difficult time.
Sincerely,
Ms. Jodi Pesek, Principal
Community leaders are also expressing their condolences to Drake's family.
Prayers for Drakes family, friends, teammates and our entire OPS family. https://t.co/GK45KSUV0P
— PACE Police Athletics (@PACEOmaha) August 11, 2021
In a post on a community Facebook page, Hoffman said that she is raising money to help her fatherwith funeral expenses.
This is a developing story.
Download our apps today for all of our latest coverage.
Get the latest news and weather delivered straight to your inbox.
