Jun 9, 2008 10:42 pm US/Central
College Basketball Star Dies After Rafting Tragedy
BATAVIA, Ill. (CBS) ―
A college graduation trip turned tragic for a young man from the western suburbs.
Twenty-one-year-old Kevin Bryant died after a whitewater rafting accident in Colorado.
As CBS 2's Mai Martinez reports, those who knew him say Bryant will always live on in their memories.
Illinois Wesleyan University's Web site on Monday paid tribute to one of its most recent basketball stars. Bryant was the Titan's #12.
The May 2008 graduate passed away Sunday, six days after he was critically injured in a whitewater rafting accident.
His close friend and teammate Jason Bloom, who now lives in Kansas, heard the news from Bryant's longtime girlfriend.
"They were all throw overboard and everyone else was able to make it to shore, and just by happenstance, Kevin was trapped underwater," he said.
Bloom said it's still hard to believe that Bryant wasn't able to pull through. He thought for sure if anyone could, it would be Bryant.
"The strength of his person and the strength of his will, allowed him to hang on long enough for us all to come to grips with things and get a little perspective I guess," Bloom said.
Bloom says he met Bryant his first day on campus at IWU, and knew they'd be friends for life.
"He's one of those people that once you meet him, you don't forget him," Bloom said. "He had a really infectious personality. A lot of people where lucky to meet him and lucky to know him."
Before heading out to Illinois Wesleyan University, Bryant was a standout basketball star at Batavia High School. Many say students then and now looked up to him.
Banners and trophies Bryant helped earn are proudly displayed at the school -- Batavia's head basketball coach says perhaps even more proudly now, because their rising young star is gone.
"Last night there was a prayer vigil here that was arranged on short notice and the entire cafeteria was filled and there weren't too many dry eyes," Coach Jim Roberts said.
Those who knew Bryant aren't surprised by the outpouring of love and support. They say there was just something about the young man who loved life and basketball.
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