A SUPER-FIT former East Lancashire man collapsed and died while playing basketball in America.

Gentle giant Jason Jacobs, 30, suffered a heart attack and died on the court during a game in a gym near his home in Aberdeen, North Carolina.

Stunned colleagues at the Pepsi Bottling Company in Rockingham, North Carolina, where 7ft-tall Jason, formerly of Blackburn, was a salesman, have been left devastated by the sudden death.

His boss, sales manager Bill Johnson, said: "We've all been left numb.

"Jason worked for me for three and a half years and sold Pepsi to local grocery stores.

"He was an extremely hard worker and will be missed by everyone.

"I believe heart trouble is to blame for his death. As far as I know he was just working out by playing basketball in a gym when he collapsed. "It's a tragedy that something like this can happen to somebody so young. He was such a good guy."

Jason quit Blackburn for America when he was made redundant from his insurance salesman's job nearly four years ago. He and his wife Natalie, were married nine years ago at Blackburn Register Office.

Natalie's grandmother Lilly Yates, of Hamilton Street, Blackburn, said: "They had everything going for them and had just moved into a lovely new house. He was a super-fit lad and because of his height, loved basketball.

"It's hard to believe he could have had a heart attack."

"Natalie is devastated. They were a lovely couple."

Jason's father, Frank, was originally from North Carolina. It is believed he too died following heart trouble.

He leaves a mother, Jean, who flew to America for the funeral and sisters, Laurie, of Blackburn and Jamie, who also lives in the States. Jason died on March 4 and was cremated in America on Sunday.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.