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SILVERTON, Ore. -- A 17-year-old Dallas, Ore. wrestler died shortly after he won his match Thursday.
The mother of Charley Engelfried said that at around 7 p.m., he had pinned his opponent, shook his hand and his coach's hand, then collapsed while walking off the mat. People quickly surrounded him and tried to resuscitate him, and he was taken to Silverton Hospital. He passed away shortly thereafter.
"He died doing what he loved," his mother told KGW Newschannel 8. "He was looking forward to this match, and he pinned his guy."
His mother described him as popular and an all-around athlete; he was a football player, and he's been wrestling since the seventh grade. He was in the JV program of Dallas High School's wrestling program during tonight's match at Silverton HS.
His mother thanked everyone for trying to help revive her son, including staff at Silverton HS, emergency room staff at the hospital, and the facility's chaplain.
"They were right on the spot helping him," she said. "There's lots of love and support, and lots of prayers."
View photos of Charley (link)
Engelfried was a junior at Dallas HS. His mother said he had been talking with a Navy recruiter about going into the armed forces after high school. He eventually hoped to become an athletic director, coaching students like himself.
"He loved being active, and he rarely missed practice," she said. "He was always proud of his coaches and his teammates."
Silverton Police is investigating but doesn't plan to release any information until Friday morning. Engelfried's mother said that he didn't have any known medical issues, and an autopsy has been scheduled to determine a cause of death.
Engelfried is survived by his parents and a younger brother.




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