Tragedy at Bellarmine (Louisville, Kentucky)

[Sonny]

Lax Genius over on LaxPower is reporting that a Bellarmine player passed away earlier this morning during a team run.

Rick Passfield, a sophomore goaltender for Bellarmine University from Whitby, Ontario, collapsed and died this morning while on a team run. Attempts by teammates to revive Rick failed.

My thoughts and prayers are with Rick's family and teammates and his many friends in the lacrosse community across Canada at this difficult time.

[Sonny]

Bellarmine athlete dies during practice

12:12 PM EST on Tuesday, November 1, 2005

By TIM SEYMOUR / WHAS11 News

For members of the Bellarmine University lacrosse team, it was just another pre-season workout until just after their second quarter-mile run when 21-year-old Rick Passfield was found lying on the track.

“I went over to Rick and shook him and there was no immediate response,” says Bellarmine Lacrosse Coach Jack McGetrick. “I immediately started to give CPR and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. One of my players who had CPR training started to give the chest compressions. We worked on him until the EMTs came.”

But the second-year student from Ontario, Canada later died at Audubon Hospital. An autopsy has been performed but the cause of death is still unclear.

FULL ARTICLE

[Sonny]

Bellarmine shaken by lacrosse player's death

Goalie collapses during workouts

By Michael Grant
mgrant@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal

Rick Passfield, a redshirt freshman lacrosse player at Bellarmine University, collapsed and died yesterday morning while participating in an off-season conditioning drill.

Passfield, a 21-year-old Canadian nicknamed "Tug" or "Tuggy" and described by teammates as fun-loving and upbeat, had completed two of four quarter-mile runs when he was overcome.

Tuggy went down to his knees just trying to catch his breath," sophomore midfielder Adam Lukanchoff said. "Everyone was like, 'Are you all right?' He said, 'Yeah, I'm fine. I'm fine.'

"Then about 30 seconds later he turned over and was lying on his back. Coach ran over to see if he was all right. He wasn't moving."

Emergency workers arrived at 8:30 a.m., and Passfield was taken to Norton Audubon Hospital, where doctors were unable to resuscitate him. He was pronounced dead at 9:20 a.m.

Jefferson County Deputy Coroner Jack Arnold said a preliminary autopsy did not reveal a cause of death. The cause will be announced pending further tests. It could take 4-6 weeks before those results are known.

Bellarmine Vice President and Dean of Student Affairs Fred Rhodes called it "a truly tragic day for Bellarmine University."

FULL ARTICLE from Louisville Courier

[Sonny]

Late Bellarmine athlete had irregular heartbeat

From C-J and Special Dispatches

Autopsy results of the Bellarmine University lacrosse player who collapsed and died Oct. 31 showed that he had an irregular heartbeat and that overexertion might have played a factor in his death, Jefferson County Deputy Coroner Jack Arnold said.

Rick Passfield, a redshirt freshman, collapsed and died while participating in an off-season conditioning drill.

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051214/SPORTS/512140465/1002/SPORTS