Coaches honored by American Red Cross for saving Locust Valley student last year
In November, Locust Valley senior Francesco Allocca collapsed suddenly on the court while finishing a drill at his varsity basketball tryouts.
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The American Red Cross honored five coaches Thursday who leapt into action to save a student who went into cardiac arrest during tryouts.
In November, Locust Valley senior Francesco Allocca collapsed suddenly on the court while finishing a drill at his varsity basketball tryouts.
Coaches Andrew Siegal, Brian LoRusso, Andrew Bock, Elliot Aramayo, and Ben Martinez didn't hesitate to help. They performed CPR and utilized the AED machine to keep Francesco' vitals.
For their actions, they all received the Lifesaving Award for Professional Responders, which is the highest award given by the Red Cross to those who have saved or sustained a life using skills learned during a Red Cross training.
William Summers, a friend and teammate, said at the time his friend was lucky half of his body fell onto cushioned pad, but that he turned pale and saw his friend struggling to breathe.
As previously reported, Pia Allocca, Francesco’s mother, heard the words cardiac arrest and thought the worst. She told News 12 when she got to the emergency room at Northwell Hospital in Glen Cove, it was a miracle to see him alive.
