Grandfather dies of heart attack in the stands; Oregon high school wrestler wins state title

PORTLAND, Ore. – An Oregon high school wrestler on his way to a state title defeated an opponent and then ran into the stands where his grandfather had suffered a fatal heart attack.

Coach Tony Olliff told The Oregonian (http://bit.ly/1M1C04H) that Dallas High School senior Matt Hofenbredl was halfway through the third round of his winning match Saturday night when his grandfather, Larry, collapsed.

Olliff says an assistant coach who’s also a firefighter gave CPR and managed to get a pulse briefly before the grandfather died.

It was the third state title for the teenager. He was in the 132-pound class. He and the team left before the awards ceremony at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland.

He later tweeted thanks “to everyone that has been here for me in the last hour …”

___

Information from: The Oregonian, http://www.oregonlive.com

News from © The Associated Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

The Associated Press

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.