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Schools

Palm Desert HS Student Dies Following Water Polo Practice

16-year-old Christian Morales dies after passing out at the pool during a practice session.

This story last updated at 5:31 p.m.

A Palm Desert High Student died following a water polo practice in Indio Tuesday night.

16-year old Christian Morales passed out at Shadow Hills High, where he was taken to a local hospital and pronouced dead late Tuesday night.

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Conflicting reports have Morales collapsing poolside, while another report said the teen was in the pool at the time.

CALFIRE units responded to a report of a young adult male unconscious in the pool area at Shadow Hills at 8:55 p.m.   The young male was transported to a local hospital in critical condition. 

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According to emails sent to Patch by someone close to the family, Morales had driven to a water polo team practice at Shadow Hills, since the pool at Palm Desert High is undergoing maintenance.   Morales called home midway through the practice to tell his family he had made the club team.  He was never heard from again. 

Morales was practicing with a summer league team affiliated with USA Water Polo, and not connected with Palm Desert High School, according to school officials. 

"Often we rent pools and facilities to outside agencies under terms of a rental agreement," said Sherry Johnstone, Assistant Superintendent of the Desert Sands Unifed School District. 

An autopsy was performed today but the results are pending, according to the Riverside County Coroner's Office.

More on this from The Desert Sun.

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