A schoolboy has died after he collapsed at school as an air ambulance raced to the sports field to try and save him.
A year 7 pupil, thought to be aged 11 or 12, had a “medical emergency” at Shoeburyness High School in the town of Shoeburyness, Essex, on Monday. He has died after he collapsed during lunchtime at school.
Essex Police said they were notified about the incident by ambulance staff just before 1:20 pm after concerns were raised about the welfare of a pupil. Two ambulances, three ambulance officers, and Essex and Herts Air Ambulance rushed to the scene and took the child to hospital but he was pronounced dead hours later.
An Essex Police spokesman said: “We are currently on scene with colleagues from the ambulance service at a school in Shoeburyness, assisting paramedics with a medical emergency.”
“We were called by ambulance colleagues just before 1:20 pm today following concerns for the welfare of a young person. We are treating this as a medical episode,” the police spokesman added.
The East of England Ambulance Service confirmed: “We were called at 1:16 pm with reports of a child with a medical emergency in Caulfield Road, Shoeburyness.”
“We sent two ambulances, three ambulance officers, and Essex and Herts Air Ambulance. The person was taken to Southend University hospital for further care, the service added.”
A spokesman for the academy-run school said: “At lunchtime, there was a medical issue that involved one child; no other individuals were involved.
The ambulance and air ambulance service supported the child and were assisted by the police who then remained on-site as part of their protocol and to support staff and students.”
An email sent from the school to local councilors read: “It is with sadness to report that the 7-Year-Old boy was taken ill at the school today and taken away by air ambulance. He has apparently suffered a heart attack, and unfortunately, he has been pronounced dead.”
“The school will remain open tomorrow, and we will try as far as possible to continue as normal, and we have asked for critical incident support and counseling to be made available,” it added.
Authorities and medical personnel said that they battled to try and save the young boy but despite the medics’ best efforts, he was declared dead a few hours later.
Ian Hughes, District Commander said: “I would like to offer my condolences to the boy’s family and we are doing everything we can to support them through this tragic and difficult time. Our officers remain at the school at this time to continue our inquiries.”
“We will continue to investigate the circumstances of the boy’s death and will work with the school tomorrow. We are aware of comments on social media, and we want to reassure the local community and parents of pupils at the school, no knife was involved during this tragic incident,” Hughes added.
Essex Police said it was treating his death as unexplained and a report will be prepared for the coroner. Shoeburyness is an academy-run school that is understood to have 1,480 students on its rolls.
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