Wednesday, August 24, 2005
HEy Cheer gals n guys, this alittle piece of news everyone should read and understand.
Authorities are investigating the death of a 14-year-old Medford cheerleader who died Tuesday afternoon after performing a stunt at her cheer gym.
NewsCenter 5's Gail Huff reported that Ashley Burns was practicing with other teens at the East Elite Cheer Gym in Tewksbury about 4:30 p.m. when she complained of abdominal pains and was taken to Saints Memorial Hospital in Lowell, Mass., where she later died.
Burns was a petite girl, only 4 feet, 9 inches and 90 pounds. She was a "flyer," on the squad -- one of the girls who gets thrown up into the air during a routine. She was practicing a "double down" stunt with four other team mates. The routine requires the flyer to twice up in the air and then be caught. Her coach said Burns was caught in her teammate's arms and never hit the floor, but a short while later she began to complain of abdominal pains.
"If she impacted her abdominal area, a blunt injury could cause internal bleeding, and I would suspect it may be in that line of injury," Tewksbury Police Chief Richard Mackey said.
Burns was first treated at the East Elite gym and later transported to the hospital. Many of her teammates left the practice believing she was fine because she was alert and talkative when the ambulance arrived.
"Obviously our deepest sympathy is with the family right now. We are not going to make a further comment until we get further information, which needs to be available at a later date. The police department is investigating," gym co-owner Linda Bemis said.
An autopsy should determine the exact cause of death.
"We're being told that absolutely there were no trampolines involved. This was just, somebody landed wrong and sustained an injury," Medford Police Chief Alfred P. Donovan said.
Burns had cheered and competed for many years. She was on the student council in middle school and was to be an entering freshman at the vocational school in Medford this fall.