ATLANTA -- AP sports photographer Dave Martin died of an apparent heart attack shortly after collapsing on the turf of the Georgia Dome in the moments following Texas A&M's 52-48 win over Duke in the Chick-fil-A Bowl Tuesday.
As time in the game expired, Martin joined other media in rushing onto the field to capture Texas A&M's immediate celebration. Martin, 59, was approaching Aggies quarterback Johnny Manziel when he collapsed and immediately drew attention from medical staff members from both teams. Paramedics were on the scene in minutes, attempting to revive Martin with CPR less than 10 yards away from the TAMU celebration.
"Dave Martin was an excellent photojournalist, a consummate and dedicated professional and a wonderful person," said AP Vice President and Director of Photography Santiago Lyon. "Wherever his work took him he made many friends and will be deeply missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing him."
Players from both teams who noticed Martin looked on in concern, while others simply were unaware in the immediate moments after the collapse. He was quickly taken to Emory Hospital Midtown, and died in the earliest morning hours of New Year's Day.
"He was so driven to tell stories through pictures that he'd do most anything it took to be in the right spot to get the best photo, whether it was standing on a beach during a hurricane or wading into polluted waters during an oil spill," said Jay Reeves, AP's Birmingham correspondent and a colleague of Martin for decades. "He covered wars and a revolution, sports and tornadoes, the Alabama Legislature and presidents, and he typically had the best picture no matter what the event."
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