AROUND HIGHER EDUCATION: Princeton freshman, 19, suffers fatal heart attack

and Rich Tucker The Daily Princetonian PRINCETON, N.J. (U-WIRE) -- Princeton University freshman Matthew Weiner died of cardiac arrest early Monday evening after collapsing during a game of pick-up basketball with fellow varsity swimmers. Paramedics attended to Weiner, 19, at the scene, performing CPR and applying a defibulator in an effort to resuscitate him. Weiner was taken to Princeton Medical Center by ambulance after paramedics were on the scene for 16 minutes, Chief of Princeton Rescue Michael Bonotto said. PMC personnel pronounced Weiner dead at 6:25 p.m., citing "sudden cardiac arrest" as the cause of death, according to a PMC nursing supervisor. Weiner collapsed 45 minutes into the game on the outdoor basketball court between the tennis courts and Spelman Hall, according to sophomore David Hamming, who was playing basketball with Weiner. Hamming and other students said Weiner appeared to be fine during the game of three-on-three until he suddenly collapsed at approximately 5:20 p.m. Teammates called Public Safety, and proctors subsequently alerted Princeton First Aid and Rescue and Borough Police. Police officers were first on the scene, where they administered CPR and applied the defibulator seven times, Bonotto said. Paramedics arrived shortly after and continued CPR. "They also shocked him seven times" with the defibulator, Bonotto said. Following Weiner's collapse, teammates and head swimming coach Rob Orr rushed to the PMC emergency room. "He just passed out and stayed down," freshman Nathan Rebuck said as he and fellow swimmers waited in the hospital lobby. "He fell face first with his arms out. And he chipped his tooth." According to freshman Chris Cunningham, Weiner was still breathing and he had a pulse at the time students contacted Public Safety. "He was breathing in gasps," Cunningham said. Bonotto said Weiner was in cardiac and respiratory arrest when Borough Police arrived. "Medics did everything they could. Their time on scene was a very quick time," he noted. Rebuck and his teammates said they did not know if Weiner had any history of heart problems.