Rising Basketball Star Dies At Church Youth Party

Update 7:30 a.m.
Cherokee County coroner Dennis Fowler has ruled Jeremy Sailem's death an accident. Fowler says an autopsy confirmed a hot dog became lodged in Sailem's airway.

Monday
A 16-year-old Spartanburg High School student collapsed and died at a pool party with his church youth group on Sunday.

It happened Sunday around 5:15pm at a home on Pacolet Highway near Gaffney. Cherokee County Coroner Dennis Fowler said the teenager was eating when he collapsed and became unresponsive . According to emergency responders with the Goucher-White Plains Fire Department, the teen had no vital signs when EMTs arrived four minutes after getting the call. The chief says EMTs tried to revive the teen by shocking his heart and performing CPR, but it was no use.

The homeowner identified the teen as Jeremy Sailem, a junior at Spartanburg High and a member of Fernwood Baptist Church.

Saleim was a member of the Vikings basketball team. Head coach Doug Lowe says he was a rising star with tremendous potential.

"He started for our Junior Varsity team as a freshman, and last year as a sophomore he played a lot toward the end of the year," said Lowe. "I thought with a good senior year two years from now, he would have been one that could have played college basketball."

His junior varsity coach, Thomas Crosby, describes Sailem as a hard worker who had a magnetic personality.

"That smile of his, he could light up a room," said Crosby. "All he talked about was basketball. I knew he was going to have a great season because of all the hard work he put in over the summer."

In fact, Crosby worked out with Sailem on Saturday, one day before learning of his sudden death.

"As hard as this is on our team, I can't imagine what his family is going through," said Crosby. "I told his parents I feel like I've got a hole in me and his father just hugged me and cried and his mother did the same thing."

Sailem appears to have choked to death, but Fowler is being cautious about making a quick ruling.

"It appears food became lodged in the victim's airway and I see nothing to indicate foul play," said Fowler in a news release. "However, an autopsy has been ordered to assist in my investigation which is continuing."

A witness at the youth group party - who wished to remain anonymous - says Sailem was eating a hotdog when he suddenly collapsed. He says the teen did not give any sign that he was choking and an adult attempted to perform the heimlich maneuver but was unsuccessful.

Funeral arrangements have not been made.