On Tuesday evening, Bernd Dittrich, quarterback of the Simon Fraser University (SFU) Clan’s football team, died in hospital after falling unconscious while rehabilitating an injured shoulder in the university’s pool.
The cause of death has yet to be officially determined, but according to Clan head coach, Dave Johnson, the hospital in New Westminster, B.C. informed him that Dittrich had a previously undetected heart condition, which likely played a role in the 21-year-old’s passing.
Dittrich, a native of Austria, began playing football in Vienna before joining SFU in 2007. Last season, he led the Clan to their best record in five years (5-3).
He is currently being mourned by the entire community at SFU, where students, faculty and coaches alike remember him as a truly special person, a gifted athlete and a born leader.