Recently, in Linyi County, Shanxi Province, a 15-year-old boy named Xiaohai (alias) died suddenly from cardiac arrest after participating in the high school sports talent examination. The school did not have medical staff on-site, leading to questioning from parents.
After the end of the high school entrance examination this year, Xiaohai registered to participate in the sports talent test at the Third Middle School of Linyi County. On the morning of June 25th, around 8 a.m., an accident occurred during the examination.
“My grandson was running the 100 meters and had crossed the finish line when he suddenly collapsed due to sudden cardiac arrest and died,” said Xiaohai’s grandfather. He mentioned that on the day of the exam, there were no medical personnel present at the Third Middle School as required by the Education Bureau regulations, which state that medical care should be provided throughout the examination. “It has been 13 days, and my grandson is still in the funeral parlor.”
According to the family, on the day of the incident, Xiaohai’s mother accompanied him to the exam. She received a phone call informing her of Xiaohai’s accident while waiting outside the school.
Surveillance footage shows that around 8:07:51 a.m., Xiaohai collapsed after crossing the finish line. Two students who were taking the exam with Xiaohai were about to leave but turned back immediately upon seeing Xiaohai on the ground. Subsequently, staff members rushed to the scene. Around 8:22:08 a.m., an ambulance arrived at the playground, and Xiaohai was placed in the vehicle, which left around 8:23:42 a.m.
Xiaohai passed away on the afternoon of June 25th despite rescue efforts. The family stated that the hospital’s clinical diagnosis was cardiac arrest.
The family mentioned that Xiaohai was healthy and had undergone a physical examination at the Linyi County People’s Hospital before participating in the sports talent test at the Linyi Middle School. The examination report dated June 10, 2025, indicated that Xiaohai had no previous medical history, and all vital indicators, including heart, lungs, liver, and limbs, were normal.
According to the family, before registering for the Third Middle School exam, Xiaohai had also registered for sports talent tests at other schools in the county, and at that time, there was a lack of emergency medical services like ambulances seen at the school’s exam venue.
The incident has garnered attention online, trending as the fourth hot topic on Weibo.
Netizens expressed their discontent, saying, “This is not an ordinary test; it’s a high school sports talent test! How could there be no medical staff present?” and “In a school setting like this, not having an AED is one thing, but not even having a single paramedic is unacceptable. The school’s safety measures are severely lacking!”
On July 8th, the Education and Sports Bureau of Linyi County in Yuncheng City, Shanxi Province, announced that an investigation confirmed the school’s failure to provide medical staff as required during the exam, and those responsible for negligence will be held accountable.
The official response has sparked dissatisfaction among netizens, with comments like, “Is that all they have to say?” and “Isn’t it the responsibility of the Education Bureau to provide school medical staff?” One netizen even called for the widespread dissemination of CPR and emergency rescue knowledge among the public.