Chance Gainer, an 18-year-old senior at Port St. Joe High School and star player for the Tiger Sharks, tragically collapsed during a football game against the Bulldogs and later died.
Gainer, who had electrified the crowd with a 70-yard touchdown earlier in the game, was playing defense when he suddenly went down, Northwest Florida Daily News reported.
According to Tim Davis, Liberty County Athletic Director and Assistant Principal, the collapse came without warning as Gainer trailed a play developing on the opposite side of the field.
“He just went to the ground suddenly,” Davis recounted in an interview with Northwest Florida Daily News. Coaches immediately rushed to his aid, but the gravity of the situation quickly escalated.
EMS was called, and despite the heroic efforts of medics who managed to regain a pulse, Gainer was pronounced dead at a hospital in Blountstown, just an hour after the game.
“We got the news about an hour later that he had died,” Davis said. “The game had about four minutes left in the fourth quarter and the decision was made to go ahead and finish it so the Port St. Joe coaches could inform the players together.”
“The scene was heartbreaking. Parents came down on the field to comfort their kids. Such a helpless feeling,” he added.
According to the GoFundMe:
Chance Gainer, a Senior at Port St. Joe High School tragically passed away Friday Night (September 6th) after collapsing on the football field. Chance was not only a star athlete but a well loved classmate.
You may not hear him, but you could see his smile from across the room. A team, a school, a community and most importantly, a family is truly devastated by the loss of Chance. This is more than a fundraiser; it is a community effort to support one of our own in a time of need.
Your involvement not only provides financial support but also shows a heartwarming community spirit that we value so much. Please keep the Gainer family and entire Port St. Joe community in your thoughts and prayers.
