Bruce Assily, who starred as a Linfield football defensive end in the late 1990s, died after diving in the ocean off Honolulu’s Kaimana Beach in Waikiki the morning of Friday, Jan. 24, 2014.
Honored with decal on back of Linfield football 2014 helmets
A Jan. 27, 2014, catdomealumni.com posting (copied by Wildcatville on the evening of 1/28/2014) provides this information:
"This past Friday former Linfield Stand-Out Defense End, Michael Bruce Assily (1996-1999) passed away on Friday, January 24th at the age of 36 in a diving accident off Kaimana Beach in Waikiki. Apparently Bruce was free diving for fish with a friend at 5 a.m. in preparations of last week’s Pro-Bowl and ran into trouble. Bruce’s friend was able to get him back to the beach after Bruce was in prolonged distress. Police and medical professionals were on the scene and transported Bruce to a hospital but they were unable to revive him."
"This past Friday former Linfield Stand-Out Defense End, Michael Bruce Assily (1996-1999) passed away on Friday, January 24th at the age of 36 in a diving accident off Kaimana Beach in Waikiki. Apparently Bruce was free diving for fish with a friend at 5 a.m. in preparations of last week’s Pro-Bowl and ran into trouble. Bruce’s friend was able to get him back to the beach after Bruce was in prolonged distress. Police and medical professionals were on the scene and transported Bruce to a hospital but they were unable to revive him."
Lettering in the 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999 Linfield
seasons, Assily was the 1999 Northwest Conference (NWC) Defensive Player of the
Year. A four-time all-NWC football
player, he was second team in the 1996 and 1998 seasons and first team in the
1997 and 1999 seasons.
A 1995 graduate of Honolulu’s Saint Louis High
School, he played in Linfield’s first game (vs. Western Oregon) of the 1995
season and broke a fibula. He was a medical redshirt that season and played the Wildcats' 1996-1999 seasons.
Ryan Haack redshirted in 1991 and lettered 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1995 playing on the defensive line for the Wildcats. Haack's last season and Assily redshirt year was 1995. "This is such a tragedy, Bruce was the most fun loving guy I've ever met," said Haack. "I played with him only briefly" (in the opening season game against the alumni and the first counting game versus Western Oregon), but I still remember he made everyone playing have fun. He laughed while he played because it was such fun for him."
==Text of Honolulu Star-Advertiser story, "Diver who drowned in Waikiki is identified"
POSTED: 12:27 p.m. HST, Jan 25, 2014 LAST UPDATED: 12:40 p.m. HST, Jan 25, 2014
The city Medical Examiner's Office has identified the 36-year-old man who drowned while free diving Friday as Michael Assily of Aiea.
Emergency Medical Services said Assily was diving with a friend at 5 a.m. near Kaimana Beach in Waikiki.
When firefighters arrived, police officers were applying CPR. Paramedics took over and took the victim in critical condition to a hospital, where he died.
Police have classified the apparent drowning as an unattended death.
An autopsy will be performed on Monday to determine the cause of death.
=Text of hawaiinewsnow (KGMB radio and KHNL-TV) story “Man dies after drowning off Kaimana Beach”
Ryan Haack redshirted in 1991 and lettered 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1995 playing on the defensive line for the Wildcats. Haack's last season and Assily redshirt year was 1995. "This is such a tragedy, Bruce was the most fun loving guy I've ever met," said Haack. "I played with him only briefly" (in the opening season game against the alumni and the first counting game versus Western Oregon), but I still remember he made everyone playing have fun. He laughed while he played because it was such fun for him."
Haack noted that Ryan Carlson, creator and producer of cathomealumni.com and the "Linfield Legend: Bruce Assily (1996-1999)" video linked below played the opposite side defensive end with Assily.
==Text of Honolulu Star-Advertiser story, "Diver who drowned in Waikiki is identified"
POSTED: 12:27 p.m. HST, Jan 25, 2014 LAST UPDATED: 12:40 p.m. HST, Jan 25, 2014
The city Medical Examiner's Office has identified the 36-year-old man who drowned while free diving Friday as Michael Assily of Aiea.
Emergency Medical Services said Assily was diving with a friend at 5 a.m. near Kaimana Beach in Waikiki.
When firefighters arrived, police officers were applying CPR. Paramedics took over and took the victim in critical condition to a hospital, where he died.
Police have classified the apparent drowning as an unattended death.
An autopsy will be performed on Monday to determine the cause of death.
=Text of hawaiinewsnow (KGMB radio and KHNL-TV) story “Man dies after drowning off Kaimana Beach”
Posted:
Jan 24, 2014 9:11 AM PST Updated: Jan 24, 2014 9:26 AM PST
A 36-year-old man has died after an
apparent drowning off of Kaimana Beach on Friday before 5 a.m., according to
Honolulu police.
Officers said the man, who weighed
about 250 pounds, was diving with a friend about 50 yards offshore. He then
lost a fin and began struggling while treading water for about 20 minutes. His
friend managed to get him to shore where six officers arrived and performed CPR
on the victim. Firefighters then arrived and took over CPR.
The victim was taken to Straub
Clinic & Hospital in critical condition where he later died, police said.
Police are investigating the
incident as an unattended death. There are no initial signs of foul play.
=Link to catdomealumni.com video about
“Linfield Legend: Bruce Assily (1996-1999)” from catdomealumni.com
==Info from McMinnville N-R 4/6/2000 story “Students share their culture April 15”
Bruce
Assily was a member of Linfield’s
Hawaiian Club and co-master of ceremonies of the club’s 28th annual lu’au held
in 2000.
==Part of text from McMinnville N-R 3/30/2000 story “Linfield
football seniors to play in all-star classic”
“Led by Northwest Conference
co-defensive player of the year Bruce Assily, seven graduating Linfield College
football players will suit up one more time tonight in the National All-Stars
College Football Classic. The all-star game is being played in Las Vegas…”
==Photo cutline from McMinnville N-R
11/18/1999
“Linfield senior defensive end Bruce Assily (8) gave an
emotional speech to his teammates following the final game of the season.’I'm
going to miss you guys,’ he said while holding back tears. Assily was named the
Northwest Conference Defensive Player of the Year.”
==Part of text from McMinnville N-R 9/16/1999 “Pummeling of
Redlands catches eyes for Linfield”
“This is my last chance to dance this
year," said senior defensive end Bruce Assily, echoing the sentiments of a
lot of players. "I have only eight more hours of football, 60 minutes a
game. I just want to take it one game at a time."
Image from 1999 Linfield football media guide
Image from 1999 Linfield football media guide
