SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) – On Friday, 16-year-old Cristian Lopez Sales was on the field during P.E class at Booker High School when something bad happened.
On Monday ABC7′s Sophia Vitello spoke with the student’s father, Juan Mendez Guzman, who is Spanish speaking only, so they conducted the interview through a translator. Guzman said he had gotten a call saying they needed to go to the school because something happened. He told ABC7 the exchange was confusing because the school first told the parents to go to the hospital.
Once they arrived at the school, Sales’ mother went with her son to the emergency room, while Guzman ran home to assist their other child.
Then Guzman’s wife called saying their son had died in the hospital. Guzman did not get to say goodbye to his firstborn son.
“Every Saturday was our day to be together, I always wait for Saturday to be with my son,” said Guzman. “He was a good kid,” he said.
The father told ABC7 the school said the 16-year-old was on the field and went to wipe his sweat off of his face with a T-shirt, but when he went to put his hands on his hips, he collapsed.
Guzman said the doctors did not know what caused the medical emergency but that they would call the family on Monday with answers from their autopsy.
“All they told me was that they were going to look into it further,” said Guzman.
They are still waiting for that call.
Guzman told ABC7 they have requested security camera footage from Booker High School that would hopefully show what happened on the field that day when their son collapsed.
If you would like to help the family, they have set up a Go Fund Me, click here to donate.
