Tragedy struck at a Pennsylvania high school when a referee passed away after collapsing during halftime of a boys basketball game on Friday, according to TribLive.
Michael Roebuck was a 45-year-old first-year official from New Stantion, Penn., according to the outlet. He was refereeing a junior varsity game between Yough (Herminie, Pa.) and Mt. Pleasant (Pa.) at the time of the collapse.
Roebuck was about to take the court for the second half of the game when he went to the ground, according to the outlet. Other officials were leaving the dressing room and ran to get help. Paramedics tried to resuscitate Roebuck for nearly an hour, TribLive said, but he died on the way to the hospital.
The game was suspended and the varsity game originally scheduled to take place immediately afterward was postponed.
Westmoreland County officials chapter assigner Bernie George spoke with TribLive.
“He was new, and I saw him recently and he said how much he enjoyed officiating. This puts what we do in perspective,” George said.
The cause of death is under investigation, according to TribLive.
