The regular day of volleyball practice turned tragic for a 15-year-old teen from College Park in Fulton County. Young prospect Amanda Sylvester arrived for regular practice at her club, Dream Chasers Volleyball Club, at the Tracey Wyatt Recreation Complex. However, the youngster couldn’t even make it to full practice as she collapsed during the warm-up.

The club’s members immediately called for assistance and emergency personnel from the College Park Fire Department. However, an unfortunate chain of events ensued, ultimately resulting in the teen’s demise. The tragic event has left the closely knit community of College Park devastated. “It is with great sadness we inform the volleyball community of the passing of our sweet, Amanda Sylvester,” posted the Dream Chasers.

“Amanda was a bright light, not just in our gym, but in the lives of everyone she encountered. We are honored to have encountered such an amazing young spirit! #21,” wrote the Club’s official Instagram handle. Community members flocked to the comments section to offer their condolences. “Rest in peace, beautiful girl,” commented one Instagram user after learning the tragic fate of the volleyball player. Yet what went so wrong?

According to the Atlanta News First report, the emergency workers arrived shortly after the call. They succeeded in stabilizing the distressed youth and called Grady EMS to send an ambulance for transport. However, things took a turn for the worse as despite several calls to Grady EMS, the ambulance never arrived, After an hour of waiting, those on the scene took matters into their own hands.

They carried Sylvester to her mother’s car and took the 15-year-old to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Unfortunately, despite their desperate efforts, the youth athlete suffered cardiac failure and couldn’t be saved, as per Atlanta News First. “Terrible loss in the Atlanta volleyball community. Prayers to you all.” commented a netizen in the wake of the tragic turn of events. However, the Dream Chasers have refused to silently mourn Amanda Sylvester.

The Dream Chasers Volleyball Club is prepared to fight for closure

Despite the tragic event, many hoped the community would continue to cherish Sylvester’s memory. “We love you Amanda please continue to shine brightly and look down on us from heaven flight high beautiful,” commented one user. However, the Dream Chasers promised the community that they wouldn’t rest until they found answers for the mishap.

“This is personal. Join us in our fight for Justice for Amanda,” the official page concluded their post. The volleyball club has already taken steps to bring the incident to city officials’ attention. Dream Chasers Catherine Murray deemed the delay by Grady EMS, “unacceptable,” while speaking to the Atlanta news outlet.

“We have precious lives in our hands, and we’re responsible for these precious lives… We have to have a better network and system to protect these kids.” said Catherine Murray. The online community empathized with what Murray and everyone at Dream Chasers Volleyball Club must be going through after the ordeal.

“Sending so much love to your club family! We are sorry for your loss.” wrote a user. Meanwhile, College Park officials are also looking into the case to uncover why it took the ambulance service over an hour to respond to the distress call. However, Grady EMS has released an official statement, possibly providing further clarity on the volleyball player’s untimely demise.

According to the Atlanta News First report, Gray EMS initially classified the call from the College Park Fire unit as “low acuity,” and hence didn’t immediately dispatch an ambulance. However, they acknowledged that following an update on Sylvester’s condition, they escalated the priority and “promptly dispatched,” an ambulance.

“However, as our unit was en route, College Park Fire determined that additional EMS support was no longer needed,” Grady EMS explained in their statement. That’s because, by the time they responded, those present with Sylvester couldn’t wait any longer. However, the official statement isn’t the be-all and the end-all, as the Dream Chasers Volleyball Club hopes for more answers.

Unfortunately, ambulance waiting times are not an uncommon issue. Another report by the Atlanta-based media house highlighted the issue in 2023. Speaking to the news outlet, the College Park Fire Department Chief Wade Elmore revealed the limitations of the system. He explained that ambulances often prioritize cases on a “life-threatening,” basis.

Recent developments such as using Rivian EV trucks for quicker response times have been implemented to help alleviate the problem. However, widespread changes are yet to be made. At the end of the day, the tragic event has left deep scars on the College Park community. One user’s comment encapsulated that sense of loss. “Absolutely heartbreaking,” commented one Instagram user.

“Prayers for the family of this beautiful young lady, the DCVC Family, and her friends left with only memories of her,” added the netizen, empathizing with everyone involved. However, only time will tell if further inquiry brings any new revelations to the vents that led to Amanda Sylvester’s tragic and untimely demise.