[Mercury Sports News] A former De La Salle High School quarterback pursuing the same elite level on the military field as his team did on the gridiron fell ill during training and died at a Fort Benning, Georgia, hospital earlier this week, officials said Thursday.U.S. Army Second Lt. Michael Parros, 21, died at Midtown Medical Center on Wednesday after becoming sick during his first day of training to become a U.S. Army Ranger, Army spokesman John Tongret said.
An ambulance took him there with hyponatremia, a condition that occurs when the body's level of sodium becomes abnormally low. The condition can be caused by factors ranging from an underlying health condition to drinking too much water during an activity, according to the Mayo Clinic.
"This is a tragic loss," said Lt. Col. Matthew Weber, Commander of the 2nd Battalion, 11th Infantry Regiment. "He showed so much potential and was the epitome of the kind of soldier you want to serve with."
Parros' unit, 199th Infantry Brigade, had wrapped up a session of combat training. He began showing symptoms of hyponatremia shortly after eating, and his condition "escalated very quickly," Tongret said.
"When he was admitted, that's what he was suffering from," he said. "It hasn't been determined at this point if that was his cause of death. Unfortunately, there are a lot of questions right now that we just don't have answered, yet."
His family was notified and made the trip from Walnut Creek to be with Parros at his bedside, Tongret said. They were not available for comment.