A college lacrosse player died after choking at a hot-dog-eating contest for charity

• Tufts University lacrosse player Madie Nicpon died on Sunday.
• She had choked during a hot dog-eating contest a day before her death.

A Tufts University lacrosse player died over the weekend after choking during a charity hot-dog eating contest.

Madie Nicpon, 20, took part in the hot-dog eating contest on Saturday during a fundraiser for breast cancer awareness at an off-campus home in Somerville, Massachusetts, a friend told WCVB.

Nicpon choked and fell unconscious during the contest, and after first responders performed "extensive life-saving procedures," she was taken to a hospital in Cambridge, Massachusetts, before being transferred to a facility in Boston, Tufts told the Journal News.

Tufts said Nicpon died on Sunday afternoon.

The school's lacrosse team described Nicpon, a biopsychology major from Suffern, New York, as a "bright light, a social butterfly, an amazing teammate, a kind and generous person."

"We are heartbroken over the loss of Madie Nicpon… an incredible person that reached every corner of the Tufts University Community," the team said on Instagram.

Tufts called Nicpon's death a "painful loss."

"We are never prepared for the loss of someone in our community. It can be especially hard to accept the loss of someone so young," the school said in a statement. "In times like these, it is more important than ever to rely on each other and draw strength from our community."