Star athlete, 17, dies in pool after her heart stopped while she was swimming
- Emma Aronson, a varsity basketball player, was racing against friends
- At one point she said 'I'm so tired' then fell unconscious
- Paramedics could not revive her, she was pronounced dead in hospital
- Family paid tribute to Emma's vivacious spirit and loving character
A 17-year-old girl has died after her heart stopped during a swimming race.
Emma Aronson was in an open-air pool with friends in Kansas on Friday night when she slipped under the water.
The star athlete reportedly said 'I'm so tired' before falling unconscious.
Paramedics arrived at the pool in Lee's Summit, Kansas, at 9.45pm to find friends pulling Emma out of the pool in a bid to revive her.
After multiple attempts at CPR, she was taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead.
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Tragic: Emma Aronson, 17, died after racing against friends in a swimming pool on Friday in Kansas
Though police are investigating the case as a drowning incident, her family believes she died after a cardiac arrest.
Emma, a varsity basketball player at Lee's Summit High School, had just completed her junior year.
Her mother Laura told FOX4 there were no signs of illness.
'She was racing in the pool against the boys and of course, she wanted to beat them,' Laura said, 'and most of the time she did.
'She got to the edge and said, in a very small voice, I’m so tired, and then that was it.'
Laura added: 'She’s a great friend, the most beautiful daughter anyone could ask for.'
No warning: Family said there were no signs Emma, a star athlete and varisty basketball player, was ill. She is pictured, right, with her boyfriend Tyler, and, left, with Tyler (far left) and a friend (on her right)
Close family: Emma was a supportive sister to her younger siblings Joe (right) and Ellie (left)
In a GoFundMe page set up to help with funeral expenses, friends paid tribute to Emma's spirit and her active role in the church.
'Emma and her boyfriend, Tyler, shared a special love and her parents are so thankful she got to have that experience.
'Emma was a mentor to other teens, sharing her love of the Lord with everyone she met, a country girl who loved the outdoors and hanging with the boys, her [Facebook] and Instagram full of positive messages and inspiring stories.
'It is a tragic loss to everyone who loved her but especially to her mom, Laura, dad, Jay, and siblings Joe and Ellie.'
Click here to visit the GoFundMe page.
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