Track athlete, 14, died because of abnormal heart artery

By Alexis Stevens, Ty Tagami and Larry Hartstein

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The 14-year-old Douglas County boy who collapsed at track practice Wednesday died because of a birth defect involving an artery that fed his heart, the local coroner told the AJC Thursday.

William Darrin Davis, a freshman at Chapel Hill High School, collapsed while warming up at track practice "and the next thing you know, he wasn't breathing," Douglas County Coroner Randy Daniel said.

He said the boy had an enlarged heart, "but he died of sudden cardiac arrhythmia due to a congenital abnormality of his left coronary artery." Daniel explained that the boy's heart was not pumping enough blood to itself and began beating erratically.

Darrin was a promising sprinter and hurdler who was well-liked by his teammates and "always carried a smile on his face," assistant track coach Chris Rentz said.

The entire track team gathered in the school's media center Thursday morning to grieve, Rentz said.

"It's a tough time for sure," he said.

Principal Sean Kelly posted a note on the school's Web site Thursday morning.

"Chapel Hill High School coaches were on the scene and immediately administered services in an effort to revive Darrin," the note reads. "Darrin was transported to [WellStar Douglas Hospital] by ambulance. Emergency personnel at the hospital were not successful in their efforts to revive him.

"The Douglas County School System crisis team is at school on Thursday to assist students and staff. Our sincere condolences are afforded to Darrin's family and friends."

The coroner, Daniel, said that if the boy had undergone a simple x-ray or sonogram of his heart "he might have lived until he was 80."

Daniel said this is the third Douglas County child athlete who has died of complications involving an enlarged heart in the past few years. He said he wished schools had the resources to screen athletes for the condition or that parents were required to do so before their children engaged in school sports.

"I'm tired of seeing kids die on the football field and the baseball field," Daniel said. "It's depressing."