Cause of death released for Georgia high school football player

PIKE COUNTY, Ga. — The official cause of death has been released for Dylan Thomas, who died after he was injured during a football game in September.

The Pike County coroner confirmed that the 16-year-old player suffered cardiac arrest due to a head injury. The coroner officially ruled the death as an accident.

"Medical staff at Grady described to Dylan’s parents the nature of the injury as an anomaly, requiring the perfect amount of pressure on the perfect spot at the perfect angle. It is my opinion no additional preventative measures nor subsequent treatments could have prevented Dylan’s death," coroner Terrell Moody said.

A Georgia High School Association investigation this month said that Thomas reported an issue with the feeling in his leg when he made a play in the third quarter.

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"At that time, Dylan was standing, with assistance, and verbally communicating with this official. Trainers from both sidelines responded and both trainers verbally communicated with Dylan," Moody wrote in his report.

That was at 9:20 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 28.

He was assisted off the field and was initially responsive, but minutes later, that changed.

At 9:27 p.m., Dylan's condition began to deteriorate and an ambulance was called.

By 9:38 p.m., Dylan was en route to the hospital in Griffin.

At 10:15 p.m., he was taken by Life Flight to Grady Memorial Hospital. He was admitted at 10:58 p.m.

Over the next 40-45 hours, Dylan underwent several surgeries and medical tests.

He died two days later at 7:41 p.m. on Sept. 30.

"Dylan Thomas was a healthy 16-year-old boy in great physical shape. There were no preexisting medical conditions found in his routine physicals nor during his extensive medical treatment at Grady that would indicate Dylan would be more or less susceptible to this injury than any other ballplayer," Moody wrote in his report.

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The GHSA said there was no indication of an injury prior to the third quarter and that Pike County was not negligent in its handling of Thomas’ injury.

Thomas was a standout linebacker for the Pike County High School varsity football team.

“Just an outstanding young man on the football field. I mean he was just a fighter,” football coach Brad Webber said about Thomas. “He was one of the finest young men I’ve ever had in my life.”

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