MARIGOT--Young St. Maartener Geronimo Samson (13) passed away in hospital late Tuesday evening after collapsing on the running track during a warm-up at Alberic Richards Stadium in Sandy Ground.

Vigorous efforts to revive the boy in the stadium by the Fire Brigade paramedics and other medical emergency staff were unsuccessful.

Samson was a student of Caribbean International Academy (CIA) in Cupecoy and had been registered in an exercise clinic run by Club Avenir Sportif at the stadium, attending twice a week.

Club President and group trainer that day Patrick Trival said he was shocked, saddened, and very surprised at what had happened to Geronimo.

“He collapsed after just five minutes of warming up,” said Trival, who was the first to administer first aid on site.

“Geronimo had been with me for three years without any problems. He was not one who was an athlete or pushed hard. He was there for the exercise and to have fun with his friends.”

Trival confirmed that medical certificates were required of all children doing sports on the French side in order to get a French Federation licence. He said he did not know if Geronimo had any health problems.

While there is some speculation that the teenager might have experienced a heart attack, up to press time the cause of death could not be ascertained.