A Montague high school student has died after he sustained a serious head injury during a rugby game Friday night.
Montague High School has confirmed on its website that student Brodie McCarthy died Sunday.
“We are saddened to learn of the sudden death of one of our students,” read the post. “Our thoughts, prayers and deepest sympathy are with his friends and family.”
What started out as a weekend celebration of rugby at Three Oaks Senior High School in Summerside turned to tragedy when a member of the Montague Vikings was injured Friday night, during a game in the 22nd annual David Voye Memorial rugby tournament.
The player was transported by ambulance to Prince County Hospital in Summerside, and then, later in the evening, to Moncton, N.B., where he underwent surgery.
“(Friday) one of our student-athletes was involved in a freak accident during a rugby game,” read a post on the Montague Regional High School website. “He sustained a brain injury that required surgery.
“Unfortunately, it is with deep sadness that we have to convey that Brodie McCarthy did not register any brain activity after the surgery. His family has chosen to donate Brodie’s organs because that was what Brodie would have wanted.”
McCarthy was a Grade 12 student set to graduate in June.
A record 28 senior AAA teams – 16 girls and 12 boys – were competing in the three-day tournament, which attracted teams from P.E.I., Nova Scotia, Ontario and Alberta.
Understandably, both the Montague boys and girls’ teams were very upset with the injury, and decided not to continue in the tournament.
Games resumed on Saturday morning, but after it was learned that McCarthy was on life support, the final two championship games – Tier 1 girls and boys – were not played.
“Out of respect for this young man, his family, his school and players here today, Three Oaks cancelled the remaining games in the tournament,” said Three Oaks Senior High School vice-principal Gerald MacCormack, who added everyone at the Summerside school extends their thoughts and prayers to the McCarthy family, Montague teams and community.
A GoFundMe campaign has since been launched to support the family.
The campaign "Support Brodie McCarthy's Family" had raised more than $2,265 within four hours of being launched Sunday evening.
Classes at Montague High School are going forward today, but extra counsellors from the Public Schools Branch, along with school counsellors, are on site to assist students and staff.
“If you feel your son or daughter is having particular difficulty in dealing with this, please let us know,” read the post.
