Teen Dies of Cardiac Arrest in Bathroom After PE Class: ‘He Was an Amazing Kid’

An 18-year-old Las Vegas student died Tuesday of cardiac arrest at school after his physical education class.

Jordan Tyler Brister’s parents said he died at Amplus Academy and was found in the school’s bathroom, KSNV reported.

“By the time Brister was discovered, his parents said there wasn’t much that could be done for their son,” the outlet continued.

As of Friday morning, a GoFundMe page created for his family has raised $44,171 of its $20,000 goal.

“Jordan was a senior in high school who planned to join the military after graduating. Words cannot express what the Brister family is going through and there will never be enough answers as to why this has happened. He was an amazing kid who loved life to the fullest,” the fundraising page said.

Donations will be given to his family for services and other needs they might have, the page continued, “With the many challenges they are facing, let us come together and support them.”

The young man’s exact cause of death is currently being investigated, per the Clark County Coroner’s Office.

Most instances of cardiac deaths occur in older adults, especially those suffering from heart disease, according to the Mayo Clinic:

Yet sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death in young athletes. Estimates vary, but some reports suggest that about 1 in 50,000 to 1 in 80,000 young athletes die of sudden cardiac death each year.

Sudden cardiac death is often caused by faulty electrical signaling in the heart. A very fast heartbeat causes the lower heart chambers (ventricles) to quiver uselessly instead of pumping blood. This irregular heart rhythm is called ventricular fibrillation.

Any condition that puts a strain on the heart or damages heart tissue can increase the risk of sudden death.

In a social media post Monday, Amplus Academy shared the sad news about Brister.

“The Amplus community sends our love and condolences to the Brister family as well as to all of Jordan’s family, friends and acquaintances,” the post reads.