The official cause of death for Pike County junior linebacker Dylan Thomas was released Tuesday.
Coroner Terrell Moody concluded that Thomas’ death was accidental and the result of cardiac arrest caused by a head injury.
Moody’s report says Thomas had no pre-existing conditions that would have made him more susceptible to injury and that it was ultimately an ‘anomaly’ that required ‘the perfect amount of pressure on the perfect spot at the perfect angle.’
He concluded no additional treatments or preventative measures could’ve saved Thomas’ life.
The report recounts the most specific timeline of events available:
Friday, Sept. 28, 2018
- At 9:20 p.m., the 3rd quarter of the Pike County/Peach County game was stopped after an official signaled an injured player -- #32, Dylan Thomas. He told trainers he had lost feeling in his left leg and he was taken to the sideline.
- At 9:27 p.m., Dylan’s condition worsened and an ambulance was requested.
- At 9:38 p.m., Dylan was in an ambulance on the way to the Spalding Regional Hospital helipad in Griffin.
- At 10:15 p.m., Dylan was airlifted to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta.
- At 10:58 p.m., Dylan was admitted to Grady with a head injury. For the next 40-45 hours, he had multiple surgeries and tests.
Sunday, Sept. 30, 2018
- At 7:41 p.m., Dylan was pronounced dead at the hospital. Staff notified Moody of his death. Moody spoke with medical staff and a doctor from the GBI crime lab, who ultimately determined an autopsy was not needed because of the extensive documentation of Dylan’s injuries.