Calif. high school cheerleader collapses, dies

LOS ANGELES — A high school cheerleader died early Saturday, hours after collapsing on the sideline during a football game between rival Los Angeles schools.

Witnesses said the girl collapsed in the final moments of Friday night's game between Washington Prep and Fremont on the Fremont campus.

The student was briefly revived on the sideline at Fremont High School, according to Los Angeles Unified School District spokesman Tom Waldman.

Los Angeles firefighters took the teenager in apparent cardiac arrest to the hospital at 9:13 p.m. after she had been given CPR by bystanders before paramedics arrived at the school, fire spokesman Erik Scott said.

She was rushed to a hospital where she died about three hours later.

The girl was identified as 16-year-old Angela Gettis, reported CBS Affiliate KCBS.

School district Superintendent John Deasy said Saturday the girl was "a wonderful young lady. It is a catastrophic loss for the school and for the community. My heart goes out to her family."

A witness, Cameron Bonner, told City News Service the Washington Prep squad tied the game against Fremont in the fourth quarter when the cheerleader collapsed. Play was stopped and coaches and trainers ran to help the girl.

"They had just tied the game up, and the cheerleaders were pumped up," Bonner said. She appeared "to just pass out," he said.

Bystanders performed CPR while waiting for paramedics to arrive.

"All of her friends were in a circle crying," Bonner said.

Crisis counselors will be at Washington Prep on Monday to help students and faculty deal with the death, Deasy said.