The 17-year-old senior was airlifted to Dell Children’s Medical Center after becoming critically ill during an Aug. 10 football practice.
AUSTIN, Texas — Lake Travis High School senior Odin Hensley, a 17-year-old football player and wrestler, died after suffering a serious medical emergency during football practice and being airlifted to a hospital, according to the Lake Travis Independent School District.
Superintendent Curtis Null announced Hensley’s death in a message to district families Thursday, Aug. 13, saying the student died from complications related to the emergency earlier in the week. The district has not publicly disclosed the underlying medical cause. Hensley had been taken to Dell Children’s Medical Center after the emergency at a Monday morning practice. His death brought an outpouring of support from classmates, teammates, coaches and families across the Lake Travis community.
The emergency happened at about 8 a.m. Aug. 10 at Lake Travis High School. Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services and Travis County STAR Flight responded to the campus. Emergency officials initially described the call as involving a reported seizure, and medics provided advanced life support before a teenage patient was flown to Dell Children’s in critical condition. Later accounts from Hensley’s family and a fundraiser established for them said he had suffered cardiac arrest. Officials have not released a more detailed medical explanation for what caused the emergency.
Hensley remained hospitalized in intensive care as news of his condition spread through the school and surrounding community. Lake Travis football coach and athletic director Hank Carter initially said a student-athlete had experienced a serious health emergency during practice and had been taken to a hospital by helicopter. Football activities were canceled for the rest of that day following the emergency.
Null said Hensley had attended Lake Travis schools for many years, beginning at Lake Pointe Elementary School. At Lake Travis High School, Hensley competed in both football and wrestling. He was a senior lineman on the Cavaliers football team and had also competed at the varsity level in wrestling. Null said teachers and coaches remembered him as kind and determined and as an important teammate, classmate and friend.
As Hensley remained in the hospital, support spread beyond Lake Travis High School. A fundraising campaign was created to help his family with expenses during the medical crisis, while students, parents, athletes and coaches shared messages of support. Members of nearby Westlake High School’s football program, a longtime Lake Travis rival, also publicly expressed support for Hensley, his family and his teammates.
A large group gathered Wednesday evening at Lake Hills Church for a prayer vigil. The event had initially been planned at a Lake Travis school facility but was moved to the church because organizers expected a large turnout. Friends, students, coaches and teammates gathered as Hensley remained hospitalized, reflecting the growing community response to the emergency. News of his death was publicly confirmed by the school district the following morning.
The emergency has also drawn attention to medical preparedness at school athletic events. Lake Travis ISD said after Hensley’s death that automated external defibrillators are stationed throughout athletic facilities at the high school and that athletic trainers carry portable AEDs while attending practices and games. Publicly available information has not established whether an AED was used during Hensley’s emergency. The district also has not announced what specifically triggered the medical crisis, leaving important questions about the event unanswered.
Lake Travis officials said counselors would be available at the high school’s counseling center for students, staff members and families affected by Hensley’s death, with additional counselors available as needed. The district thanked the community for its support and said its focus remained on Hensley’s family, classmates, teammates, coaches and teachers. As of Saturday, Aug. 15, no detailed medical cause for the emergency had been publicly released.
Author note: Last updated August 15, 2026.