COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- A well-known and loved senior at Palmer High School is remembered Wednesday after his young life was unexpectedly cut short.
More than 1,000 people gathered at the high school to remember and say goodbye to 17-year-old Sam Hesselberg.
"It's really hard to think about," friend and classmate Zach Stemas said. "He was one of the best people I knew, and he's gone now."
For most, it's hard to believe that the outgoing, three-sport letterman is gone.
Hesselberg was found unresponsive in the bathroom of his parents home Friday.
He was declared brain dead by doctors at Memorial Hospital Saturday after they found bleeding in his brain.
His family said he was a healthy and active kid and showed no warning signs, except for complaining of a headache right before tragedy struck.
Wednesday friends and family gathered together to remember Hesselberg for who he was.
"One of the most happy people I've ever met," Stemas said. "He was there for everybody. If you ever needed him he was always willing to help. Smart, funny, all around just a good kid."
As shown by the large number of people who showed up to say goodbye, there's no doubt Hesselberg will be greatly missed.
"Sam was a big influence on a lot of people. He kind of branched out to everybody," Stemas said.
Hesselberg had plans to attend UNLV next fall and study professional golf management.
The family has asked doctors to perform an autopsy on his brain to help determine what caused his unexpected death.
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