GO FUND ACCOUNT FOR THE RUIZ FAMILY
Diamond Bar High School and the local community are mourning the sudden loss of Alexander Ruiz, a Diamond Bar High girls water polo assistant coach who collapsed on campus following practice Tuesday and died a short time later at a local hospital. He was 45.The cause of death hasn’t been determined according to interim principal Guy Roubian, and Thursday’s scheduled Palomares League match with Claremont has been cancelled.Roubian said Ruiz has two boys who attend Diamond Bar, and the tragedy has been difficult for everyone to deal with.
“It’s a terrible tragedy and it shook the whole school and the program,” Roubian said. “It has hit us all pretty hard. It was a shock to everybody.”
Roubian said Ruiz was a walk-on assistant coach who helped the boys and girls water polo teams and was also part of the swimming program. He has been part of the programs since the school opened the new $4 million Denis R. Paul Aquatic Center in 2013.
Roubian offered some details of what happened.
“He (Ruiz) was leaving campus (following practice) late in the afternoon (Tuesday) and he collapsed when he got to the parking lot,” Roubian said. “He was with other assistant coaches who are trained in CPR and they initiated CPR until the paramedics came. He had a heartbeat when they transported him, but he died shortly after reaching the hospital.”
Services are pending and the family and the school has set up a GoFundMe fundraiser to help the Ruiz family.
“He (Ruiz) was the sole bread winner in his family,” Roubian said.