Officials seek answers in possible alcohol overdose death of South Pasadena student leader

 

Grief counselors will be on the campus of South Pasadena High School after a prominent student leader died over the weekend of a possible alcohol overdose.

The student died after attending a party Saturday night, school district officials said.

"As we deal with this tragic situation, we ask for sensitivity in the form of rumor control," the South Pasadena Unified School District said in a statement on its website this morning. "Any pertinent information will be shared with students and adults as it comes to our attention."

Students met Sunday evening and set up a memorial for Aydin Salek on the campus.

Salek, who would have turned 18 today, was the student representative on the board of trustees for the 4,000-student school district, as well as a student leader and writer for the newspaper at South Pasadena High.

Details about his death, news of which spread through the community today, were not immediately available. South Pasadena police declined to provide any information other than to confirm they were investigating a death.

The South Pasadena High School website posted the news Sunday, saying: “According to the South Pasadena Police Department, Aydin’s death was presumed to be due to an alcohol overdose, not related to driving.”

The Los Angeles County coroner’s office also said it could not comment on the case.

Principal Janet Anderson said a police investigator told her that Salek had been at a party in Altadena before his death. There was a $5 cover charge at the party, district officials said.

Salek apparently had been drinking at the party, said school board President Richard Sonner. Those at the party said he appeared fine about 10 p.m. but that he passed out about 10:45 p.m., Sonner said.

Friends were trying to take him home when they realized that he had stopped breathing, Sonner said.
Another student was called to perform CPR, and paramedics were summoned, Sonner said. Salek’s parents were present as paramedics tried to revive him, he said.

Anderson said Salek “was a wonderful young man, with a very promising future. He was tenacious when he saw something that needed follow-up.”

Salek joined the school board as its student representative in July, said former school board member Don Eggleston, who attended his last meeting last week. “He was very likable ... very energetic, very smart.”

“It was very clear he would be successful at whatever he chose,” Sonner said. “I find this a complete tragedy.”

-- Rich Connell

Photo: Aydin Salek. Credit: South Pasadena Unified School District

Comments

[boofer]

"said former school board member Don Eggleston, who attended his last meeting last week. “He was very likable ... very energetic, very smart.”"

Obviously not smart enough.

[Craig Piper]

As a high school teacher, I think that I speak for all teachers throughout the country when I say that we all feel this loss. It is so sad when a young life full of potential ends so suddenly. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Ayden family.

[Jim Q. Citizen]

Alcohol is a very powerful, addicting, and often deadly drug. In the hands of youngsters the outcome is so often tragic. Why alcohol, for all the destruction it causes, is still legal is hard to understand. May God bless and comfort Aydin's family and friends.

[Peer Pressure]

Boofer, peer pressure has nothing to do with smarts as it is almost always the nice, smart, nerdy kid that succumbs. In film, print and T.V. this culture celerates and affords your first drunken night as a "rigth of passage." Alcohol is a poison, plain and simple - somehithing that doesn't ge taught to our young, even the smart ones. I wonder if he would have overdosed on cannabis? To date no one has died from a marijuana overdose yet this option has been steadfastly demonized in our culture to the point where alcohol is deed "safer." How much more backward can we get?

[Warren]

Can anybody provide data on how many people die of an overdose from marijuana.

Thanks!

[GY]

boofer, why would anyone make a comment like yours? Does it make you feel better? Think about the parents, family, and friends involved? Did you ever not do something when you were young and felt invincible? Please have a little compassion.

[Lisa]

The tragedy here isn't the loss of a bright young man, but the fact that we're supposed to consider him a hero of sorts just because he's dead. I wonder if anyone's even going to ask about the elephant in the room, or if it's too irrelevant a problem at the moment.

[South Pas parent]

Boofer, how smart were you at 17? Every 17 year old thinks they are invincible. Please refrain from such remarks.

[concernedmom]

Just forwarded this story to my own teen, who happened to be at a party Saturday night in Altadena. I made him come home by 11pm much to his chagrin. Then at our family dinner on Sunday, I took heat from my 25 year old daughter who told me that I didn't give him enough rein and that I should trust him to make the right decisions or learn from his mistakes. This young man will never learn from this mistake. Just tragic.

[peter wolf]

Seeking answers? The answer is easy; He was stupid.

[The WB]

Anderson said Salek “was a wonderful young man, with a very promising future. He was tenacious when he saw something that needed follow-up.”

Obviously, he was tenacious when it came to following up the shot of tequila or Jaeger with a beer.

I am always surprised by the comments that other students/people say. "He was a great guy." "He was a leader." "He had a promising future." If all of these people realized that, especially the fellow students he was drinking with that night, why didn't they stop him? It is a real testimony of who his friends really were, as well as an eye opener of the type of person that Mr. Salek was.

[DM]

That is a disgusting comment by "boofer".

My thoughts and prayers go out to his friends and family. This is a shocking tragedy.

[El Vergudo]

Y la marijuana sigue siendo ilegal.

[Paul]

One of the biggets problems today is that most parents are pushing their kids to grow up too fast,...buying them cell phones, i-pods that cost upwards of $300, letting theri kids go with friends everywhere without ever meeting the parents o fthe other kids, or their friends themselves. I hear people say, "well -you have to let them grow up and be kids, their generation is differents than ours",....."I don't want to be like my parents and control everything",...that is setting your son/daughter up for failure. All generations go through the same things, -yes some factors may vary, but the angst for independence by kids are the same. If anything, today's parents are so detached from their kids, that most don't even know the names of their kids teachers,...and I say this firmly after having worked with kids and troubled families for the last 24 years. As a parent I can tell you that I am very involved with my kids, and involved doesn't mean controlling -it means knowing everything,....their friends -good and bad, -you can't let your kids go through life with no input from you as a parent. Why would I let my son go to a party at night after 10pm to beging with,...common sense dictates that you have to set s curfew and responsibilities on your child otherwise he's not going anywhere and I don't care if others disagree! Did these parents knew alcohol would be served at this party, also the organizer/property owner should be prosecuted for allowing and providing alcohol to minors,...yes, 18 is still a teenager.

[James]

"Tragedy," "potential," and from the video, "we've all been there, when we're young we tend to take more risk," !? He would have turned 18 today, how can the school board and principle say nothing about the fact that he was UNDER the age of 21. How did he get the alcohol? Where were the parents? Did no one tell this kid about drinking too much? boofer's right; I don't care how "tenacious" or outgoing or popular he was, he was an idiot for drinking at a party when it was illegal and not smart enough to know when to stop. If he was such a leader, what kind of example has he set for his fellow students, and why is no one taking a stand against his behavior!? When these are the whole statements coming out after an event like this, it's no wonder our kids are ending up the way they are. Someone has to be willing to say this is sad, but he made a bad choice and suffered the consequences.

[Lexi]

Young men of this age group, and often years older, feel they are indestructible. It is very sad, and a great loss to his family, friends and his school. My condolences to all.

May all the young people who read about him take heed and not get caught up in peer pressure. The holiday season will now be a somber reminder for all involved for years to come. Graduation time is often a time of tragedy by the same circumstance.

[Chris]

Gee, LATimes, would it be too much to ask for you not to post obnoxious, insensitive comments on a 17 year old's death?????

[Rick]

Sad, but no one made the young man drink the alcohol. Sounds like he was with his buddies who probably got him to drink more. When these kids get around their friends, they tend to forget what dad and mom have told them.

[Priscilla]

I agree with Paul on his comment. I have a 11yr old niece that acts like a 15 yr old. Many teens this generation act and try to be older than their age. It is very sad and scary for many parents that have teenage kids. As an aunt, not a mother, I try to be a good example and try to put some sense in my niece as I was a teenager once. So sad this had to happen to this young man at such a young age. My condolences go to all his family and friends.

[informer]

There has not been one documented case of marijuana overdose ever.

[b]

I'm 25 years old so I'm still somewhat young. But come on, why do parents let their kids go out like this and then we act suprised when something like this happened. Honestly, its sad, we all make mistakes, but if this young man was such a leader, he wouldn't have been in this position. Its one thing to take a few drinks, especially when you are underage, but to intoxicate oneself to the point of complete unconsciousness, very sad. Wake up parents, wake up kids!

[Brandon M.]

I was at this party & when I arrived around 10:30-11:00, he was already passed out outside the house being helped by some people & as i continued to go inside I thought to myself "wow, he must've drank a lot. these kids need to pace themselves haha" Only the next day did i find out that he had passed away. It's still a complete shock to me. R.I.P.
A terrible tragedy indeed.

[friend]

I really wish the anchorman would have learned to pronounced his name correctly, it's the least he could do.

[kia]

I'm aydin's cousin and i know him probably more than all of these reporters and you. He was not a crap but the news videos are telling that he was!!!! He was really smart and he had many great abilities like he was a really good leader, helper for his friends and anyone. also he was very active and popular in our school and he was applying for best colleges in U.S. So dont think that he was a alcohol drinker!!!

[josie madrid]

hello my name is josie i am so sorry for your lose i no what it is like to loose someone you love :)