Family says linebacker at Dixie State died from low sodium

HONOLULU (AP) - Family members say a Dixie State University linebacker's death was linked to hyponatremia, a condition of abnormally low sodium levels.

Honolulu's KHON-TV reported Monday that Abraham Reinhardt's mother Malani told them her 23-year-old son's sodium levels suddenly dropped before he died Friday.

She says it is unclear what caused her son's sodium levels to plummet.

Dixie State athletic department spokesman Steve Johnson says Reinhardt, a native of Wailuku, Hawaii, left practice on March 19 after suffering a minor leg injury. He was treated with ice and stayed on the sidelines, Johnson says.

Reinhardt went to the hospital that night. His family said he suffered muscle pain and spasms, which turned into seizures causing brain swelling.

A candlelight vigil was held Monday night on the Dixie State campus in St. George, Utah.

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Information from: KHON-TV, http://khon.com