Tragedy has struck Timberland High School, as a well-liked sophomore died Thursday.
Ramontae Lamar Smalls, 17, collapsed shortly after 11 a.m. and was taken to Trident Medical Center in Moncks Corner, where he died around noon, according to Berkeley County Schools Public Relations Director Pam Bailey. Smalls, of St. Stephen, fell down in his electronics class and his teacher immediately responded to the front office, THS Principal Dave Barrow said.
When the school nurse arrived shortly afterward Smalls was unconscious and wasn’t responding, according to Barrow. The nurse performed artificial respiration as did EMS upon their arrival, Barrow said. Smalls’ parents were notified and arrived before EMS.
Barrow said Smalls had no medical alerts that the school was aware of.
The school began offering counseling services to students Thursday, Barrow said. The approximately 850 students at the rural school know each other well, he said.
The school sent a telephone message to all parents Thursday evening through the connect-ed system. “We’ve made ourselves available to parents,” he said.
“Today has been very quiet, almost normal,” Barrow said Friday.
“He was a very good boy,” Barrow said. “He was well-liked by his class, teachers and friends. He was a role model.”
The cause of death is currently unknown, Barrow said.