Locust Valley Student Athlete Revived With AED After Collapsing During Tryouts

LOCUST VALLEY, NY — A high school student-athlete collapsed during the boys' varsity basketball tryouts at the Locust Valley Middle School/High School gym on Monday evening, according to a letter sent to parents from Superintendent of Schools Kristen Turnow.

Coaches and staff initiated CPR and used an automated external defibrillator, or AED, to revive the student, who is now stable and recovering, according to Turnow.

Their security team called emergency services during the medical emergency, Turnow said.

Turnow said that all of their coaches are AED and CPR certified, and "we experienced firsthand last night just how important this training is."

Students can also receive AED and CPR training in physical education classes, Turnow said.

According to the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation, studies from 2007 to 2015 found that sudden cardiac death made up 76 percent of the total deaths in youth sports, with basketball accounting for the largest portion at 36 percent, followed by baseball and football at 16 percent, and then soccer at 13 percent.

During that yearly range, 45 sudden deaths were reported in American youth sports, and four out of five sudden deaths affected men, SCAF states.

From 2007 to 2015, 45 sudden deaths were reported in American youth sports.

The American Heart Association said 9 in 10 cardiac arrest victims who receive a shock from an AED in the first minute live.

The Mayo Clinic states that sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death for young athletes — reports suggest that between 1 in 50,000 and 1 in 80,000 young athletes die of sudden cardiac arrest each year.

The New York State Education Department states that schools have to have sufficient AEDs to ensure access for use during an emergency. Schools must provide and maintain on-site AEDs.

According to Mayo Clinic, an AED can be used to help save someone experiencing cardiac arrest by delivering a shock to reset the heart rhythm, and although training can be beneficial, it is not needed: "the device tells you what to do."