'Students at Connecticut's Sacred Heart University were left saddened and stunned after a 20-year-old sorority girl died on April 2 from choking during a pancake-eating contest days earlier.
Caitlin Nelson had eaten four or five pancakes at the March 30 charity event put on by her sorority, when she fell to the floor and started shaking uncontrollably, reports New York Daily News.
According to authorities, Nelson was able to spit some of the food out, but she still could not breathe. Nursing students at the event rushed to help her and called 911. Despite employing the Heimlich maneuver and other attempts to save her life, emergency responders were unable to clear her airway for some time. She died days later in a New York hospital, notes Fox News.' - via Opposing Views
Nelson’s father, James, was a Port Authority police officer who died during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center when Caitlin was just 5 years old, the Connecticut Post reports. The 40-year-old cop also helped evacuate the area after the 1993 bombing.
This photo was posted in September on Caitlin Nelson's Facebook page.