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Schoolgirl Leonie Nice Dies After Being Hit In PE Lesson By Rugby Ball

Woodlands School

First Posted: 13/03/2012 19:20 Updated: 13/03/2012 21:11   PA

A 12-year-old girl has died after being hit by a rugby ball during a PE lesson at an Essex school.

Leonie Nice was catching the ball during a lesson at Woodlands Comprehensive School in Basildon on Tuesday when she was hit in the chest and fell over, appearing to have a fit, Essex County Council said.

Emergency services were called after the incident and Leonie was taken to Basildon Hospital but died shortly after.

Gary Sanderson, spokesman for East of England Ambulance Service, said: "First and foremost our thoughts are firmly with the girl's family at this tragic time.

"The ambulance crew arrived at the scene within one minute and found the girl in a critical condition. Following rapid treatment and stabilisation, she was taken to an awaiting medical team at Basildon Hospital where sadly she died shortly after."

Essex Police said they were also called to the scene.

Andy White, headteacher at Woodlands, paid tribute to his pupil, describing her as a "promising, delightful and kind girl".

He said: "Leonie Nice, a year 7 pupil, was catching a rugby ball in a PE lesson when she was hit in the chest by the ball.

"Leonie keeled over and appeared to go into a fit. Our trained first-aiders gave CPR at the scene and the ambulance arrived quickly.

"Leonie was taken by ambulance to Basildon Hospital where despite everyone's best efforts, Leonie was pronounced dead.

"The pupils and parents have been informed of this sad event and students who require support are being looked after by our own staff and specialist staff from Essex County Council's support team.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with her family at this time. Leonie was a promising, delightful and kind girl who will be greatly missed by all the staff and pupils of Woodlands School."

Tributes were also left to Leonie on Twitter.

One, from @ShannonHernaman said: "RIP Leonie-Jo Nice; a beautiful girl, resting with the angels - heaven only takes the best; we all love you; sleep tight angel."

Another, from @chlomurph_x read: "R.i.p to our beautiful friend leonie-Jo nice,a stunning girl that was only young, hopes to her family, we all love you, our gorgeous angel."

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A 12-year-old girl has died after being hit by a rugby ball during a PE lesson at an Essex school. Leonie Nice was catching the ball during a lesson at Woodlands Comprehensive School in Basildon on...
A 12-year-old girl has died after being hit by a rugby ball during a PE lesson at an Essex school. Leonie Nice was catching the ball during a lesson at Woodlands Comprehensive School in Basildon on...
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The-Overseer
1 Fans
15:06 on 16/03/2012
Can all those women on here that want to talk about MEN, and how CHAUVANIST they are, when this about a girl playing rugby, sod off and remove that chip on your shoulders. It's why if friggin' single, and have been many years - full of women that wanna CONTROL the planet. Don't anybody (WOMEN) bother replying to this, cos i've blocked this site from my email - GROW UP!!!
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The-Overseer
1 Fans
15:35 on 15/03/2012
According to all the WOMEN on here, which is pretty much everyone, we should have rugby, a dangerous boys sport, in all our schools. Thats great then girls. I say we should have football, cricket, rugby, weight-lifting, and any other 'rough', 'contact' sports; and we should have mixed lessons as well, along with an ambulance on standby to take all the casualties to hospital during each PE session. Sound good girls? Nonsensical argument, yeh?
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lmcmaps
0 Fans
10:12 on 14/03/2012
As a parent with a child that goes to Woodlands, they generally play tag rugby so that it is not a "Contact Sport" so to speak. It was a freak accident witnessed by many children. It was so lovely though to see both boys and girls walking to the school with flowers that had been bought or picked on their way to school. My heart goes out to her eldest sister courtney, who must return to her school everyday knowing her sister tragically died there, and will now be known by every pupil, due to this tragic event xxxxx
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
dollydimple62
Author....reader ,love life.
289 Fans
 
08:47 on 14/03/2012
very sad news............My thoughts are with the family...

.They will now ban rugby Im guessing?
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Saint wright
Dyslexic old chippy
307 Fans
 
06:37 on 14/03/2012
Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the snow on the mountain's rim,
I am the laughter in children's eyes,
I am the sand at the water's edge,
I am the sunlight on ripened grain,
I am the gentle Autumn rain,
When you awaken in the morning's hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush of quiet birds in circled flight,
I am the star that shines at night,
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there, I did not die.

so sorry, rest in peace.
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trolleyrescue1
4 Fans
05:33 on 14/03/2012
Such a sad day. our prayers are with leonies family. and all that feel her loss,
Heaven has a new angel,
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Flinglebunt
53 Fans
05:18 on 14/03/2012
This is a very rare event and we do not know if there was an undiagnosed medical condition that contributed to this tragedy. I assume the ambulance crew would have used a defribulator immediately and the question arises as to whether she might have survived had she been put on a defrib minutes earlier.
If this turns out to be the case then government should look into the question of whether automatic defrib kits should become a standard part of the first aid equipment in all schools. Such kits are relatively inexpensive these days and organisations such as St Johns offer packages including training of first aiders and maintenance.
My thoughts are with the family and not forgetting the child that threw the ball and the first-aiders who failed to revive her.
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medrocktraining
0 Fans
08:10 on 14/03/2012
Automated External Defibrillators (AED's) cost circa £1,000 - £1,500 per unit, and are no-maintenance pieces of equipment. Anyone can use them, and whilst training is desirable, it is not essential in an emergency as they will only shock one of 2 rhythms (both of which, if present, will indicate a cardiac arrest). It appears that an ambulance was on scene very quickly and defibrillation was commenced immediately, sadly to no effect. AED;s are not pieces of mandatory H&S equipment at present but are absolutely vital in reversing a cardiac arrest (CPR will not revive someone in this condition)
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Flinglebunt
53 Fans
14:18 on 14/03/2012
The maintenace I referred to is the periodic checking of the battery health and repack after use. Of coarse most AEDs in operation today will, like fire extinguishers, never be used in an emergency but the price has come down considerably as technology has improved and demand increased.
In real terms they cost peanuts and private companies could probably offset them against tax anyway.
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kelfbk62
47 Fans
02:06 on 14/03/2012
this is truly tragic, losing a child is just not natural
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normdoug
If we all loved, we could all live.
238 Fans
00:44 on 14/03/2012
Isn't it wonderful how many people think they are specialists, no one knows the cause. I am glad to see a member from the school writing a sensible comment. Boys and girls play a lot ruffer games out of school. May God give her soul his grace, the child who threw the ball and both sets of parents, families and friends receive His love and comfort. R.I.P
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S6Lady
0 Fans
00:04 on 14/03/2012
It's a tragedy to lose a loved one so young. My thoughts are with Leonie's family and friends. No one expects this to happen when they send their child off to school and I hope Leonie's family receive all the support and compassion they need.
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gisburne
33 Fans
22:58 on 13/03/2012
This is why girls shouldn't play sports like rugby or boxing. I'd wager if exactly the same thing happened - same person threw the ball, same speed, same contact etc - and it hit a boy he would have been winded, might have needed the rest of the day off to be checked over in the hospital at a push, but certainly not death.

Arguments about other sports are totally strawman and irrelevant. Some sports have a higher risk than others and boxing and rugby are clearly very physical contact sports and are just not suited for girls.
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medrocktraining
0 Fans
23:05 on 13/03/2012
It really would have made no difference. The point isn't the sex or age of the victim. It requires a minimum of energy to stop the heart, it just happens that this energy is released into the chest is at the wrong time (electrically speaking). Terribly tragic but without very early defibrillation the chances of survival are about 3-5%. RIP Leonie
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vermithrax
35 Fans
02:12 on 14/03/2012
Actually you are correct. It has nothing to do with sex, height, weight or anything. The heart does work on an electrical beat and sustaining a hit at precisely the right time in the chest, approx a 1 millisecond period will cause the heart to go into spasm and enter ventricular fibrillation. It is a freak accident. My sympathies to her family and classmates that witnessed this terrible accident.
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madkerrui
21 Fans
00:20 on 14/03/2012
Wow are you in a time warp. Girls take part in all sports. Sadly accidents happen to boys and girls, luckily they are rare.
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Collegedude92
4 Fans
22:44 on 13/03/2012
As terrible as this is, I feel equally as bad for the kid who threw the ball :S Hopefully that person will get the support she (probably a she since its boy/girl seperated classes) will need.
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Angela Adder
8 Fans
 
23:30 on 13/03/2012
That's what I thought. A lot of support and encouragement will need to go on that child too.
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medrocktraining
0 Fans
22:31 on 13/03/2012
A tragic incident indeed and very rare. It is possibly a condition called Commotio Cordis whereby a sudden strike to the chest at a precise point in time of the hearts electrical cycle is sufficient to stop the heart. More frequent in the USA (where baseball and basketball are more common). My deepest sympathy to all who knew this young girl
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The-Overseer
1 Fans
22:28 on 13/03/2012
..because girls play rugby don't they? How pathetic schools are - have complained about this stupidity myself - and as for all those "..she could have been injured playing netball, or hockey.." - get a grip - yes, you can get injured by these sports, but you would NOT be killed unless the ball hit you around the head. This is an accident waiting to happen - girls play girls sports, or should we have boys playing netball? Oh, i'm being silly now aren't I. It's why, as parents, we retain the final says in what is good for our children, and constantly I myself have to dictate to school what is right, and what is wrong, because unfortunately they don't train school staff in common sense approaches..
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notAnn
0 Fans
22:46 on 13/03/2012
I think getting hit in the chest with a rounders ball would have accomplished the same end, so that's a silly argument.

This must be an awful shock to her family and my heart goes out to them.
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The-Overseer
1 Fans
15:21 on 15/03/2012
They're different shapes dumb dumb... doh!!
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80-Star
0 Fans
22:52 on 13/03/2012
High Five is a form of Netball and there must be one boy on the team to play in a match. RIP Leonie.
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shannon jennings
1 Fans
22:08 on 13/03/2012
I am one of the year 11 pupils who represent woodlands school and i think i am right in saying that today we experienced a great loss in the school. A tragic day for all and behalf of woodlands would like to say all the deepest thoughts and prayers are with the family of this beautiful young girl. The unbearable is now for the family is not having Leonie in their lives but in their hearts and minds. A sadness was among all today and you will be remembered young Leonie.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
sabpol
29 Fans
00:10 on 14/03/2012
Shannon, bless you for posting a comment on here.The whole school must be devastated, my thoughts go out mainly to the family of Leonie, their grief will be unbearable, I know because I lost one of my sons 15 months ago. Her friends will be in pieces at losing a very dear friend and the rest of the school must be affected by this although there will be many pupils who didn't know Leonie personally. R.I.P Leonie Sleep Well sweetheart x x x
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shannon jennings
1 Fans
16:03 on 14/03/2012
They were devastated, today was her day of remembrance and almost everyone bought flowers in to lay where she had the accident and we all wore blue to signify her favourite colour. she will be truly missed and has had an impact on us all. Whole school been silent and then you see faces full of tears. A beautiful girl who everyone loved. x x
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