Freddy Espinal was a 17-year-old High School wrestler who died suddenly after a medical emergency during wrestling practice at his Massachusetts High School, according to Boston.com.
Espinal “died suddenly from a medical emergency while attending a wrestling practice” at Peabody High School near Salem, Boston.com reported.
“I regret to share with you all that we lost a beloved member of Saugus/Peabody family. Junior Freddy Espinal, passed away yesterday September 22nd. The impact of his passing will be felt in the community, specifically at Peabody Veterans Memorial High School, Saugus Middle High School, and his wrestling club RRWC in North Reading. As devastating as this is to us all, there is no group impacted more than his loving family,” Coach Wayne Moda wrote on the Saugus/Peabody Facebook page.
The coach announced that he set up a GoFundMe page to help Espinal’s family. “Friends of Freddy Espinal are coming together to ease the financial burden of his passing on September 22nd. A junior at Peabody Veterans Memorial High School and beloved member of the Peabody community, Freddy was a kindhearted young man who was passionate about his family and sports, specifically wrestling. Please consider donating in his memory to help his family in this difficult time,” it reads.
Ivelisse Quiroz wrote on the comment thread under the statement, “On behalf of our entire family, I thank you for loving and supporting my beloved nephew at the time, thank you for being part of our pain.”
“I’m still shocked and without words 💔😔” wrote another person on the thread.
Moda told Boston.com that the cause of death is pending but that Espinal was not wrestling at the time he suffered the medical emergency.
Freddy Espinal’s Coach Described Him as a ‘Larger Than Life’ Personality
The coach’s September 23 statement paid tribute to Espinal’s personality.
“I can tell you as his club and high school coach, Freddy was a larger-than-life personality on and off the mat. He was passionate about his family and wrestling which he worked incredibly hard at after falling in love with the sport his freshman year,” he wrote.
“Wrestling aside, I thoroughly enjoyed him as a person, he genuinely made me laugh with his antics and he was committed to his teammates and friends. To me, my wrestlers are an extension of my family. Not my children but close… We spent lots of time together wrestling but more importantly, navigating life. I loved him and will miss him dearly.”
He added: “With Freddy’s passing, his club team will not be practicing tonight, Monday, September 23rd but coaches will be at the club from 6-7:30 for any S/P teammates that want to come grieve, talk, or just remember Freddy. That address is 55 Concord Street, suite 114 in North Reading We will share information on services when they become available.”
Community Members Also Paid Tribute to Freddy Espinal
Others who knew Espinal also paid tribute to the wrestler on the comment thread of Moda’s Facebook statement.
One man wrote that his son “was his drill partner for Saugus peabody wrestling and I’ve only known Freddy for a year but he made a huge impact on his life he will be missed dearly by many. I talked to Freddy’s dad at multiple wrestling meets and he just kept saying how proud of him he was and how far he had come. My condolences goes out to all his friends and family. Just simply heartbreaking.”
A woman wrote, “I am so terribly sorry to read this. I met Freddy’s dad during a meet in Beverly. I remember him expressing how proud he was of him as both a wrestler and a football player. I pray for this family, team, and friends during this extremely difficult time.”
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