Thursday, October 1, 2026
Days after a student collapsed during varsity basketball tryouts, the Locust Valley Central School District publicly recognized the employees whose quick response saved his life. At Wednesday night’s Board of Education meeting, administrators, coaches and first responders described the emergency two days earlier and praised the teamwork that brought the student back within minutes.
As the Herald went to press, the student was recovering in a local children’s hospital, and the district had not released his name or information on the cause of his collapse.
Superintendent Kristen Turnow opened the meeting by recounting what she called one of the most difficult moments of her career.
“A little bit before 7 p.m. I received a phone call from the head of our security to immediately get over to the high school gymnasium, as a student was nonresponsive,” Turnow said. “When I arrived on the scene, our coaches (and) our head custodian were actively providing CPR to one of our students,” using an automated external defibrilator.
Paramedics from the Locust Valley Fire Department had just arrived, and began administering medication to the student. Once they detected a pulse, he was lifted into an ambulance.
She said that the high school’s head custodian, Arthur “Artie” Sandstrom — who happens to be the LVFD’s 1st deputy chief — had already left work for the day, but “heard the message on our new district 911 notification, and immediately came to the high school.” His presence was “vitally important,” Turnow added, to both the student and the staff treating him.
The next morning, administrators met with the students who had taken part in the tryouts, and assured them, Turnow said, that “we are all there for them anytime.” Later that day, administrators held an emergency meeting to review procedures. Turnow said they determined that the district needed to purchase seven additional AEDs for the middle school and high school.
Athletic Director Danielle Turner offered what she called “the best type of recognition” for the coaching staff, although she said the coaches “want none of this.”
Turner explained that state law requires all public-school coaches to be certified in CPR, first aid and use of an AED, and that Locust Valley does not hire coaches without those certifications. But she stressed that training alone doesn’t prepare someone for the emotional shock of a real emergency.
“They don’t teach you how to push your emotions aside when a child collapses,” Turner said. “These men behind me did not hesitate. They did not freeze, and as one of them said to me afterwards, ‘It was fight or flight, and we had no choice but to fight.’”
Turner told the board that she had received a call on Wednesday from Tyler Robinson, who oversees AED inspections for the district. He reviewed the data from the device that was used Monday night.
“He said to me … the readout looked like a textbook example of a perfect emergency response,” Turner recalled. “Their CPR was impeccable, their use of the AED was flawless. They saved a child’s life.”
Turner also outlined health initiatives already in progress with local physician Dr. Joseph Zito, including plans for district buildings to become “heart healthy schools,” and to host the St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center’s echocardiogram unit to offer students free screenings.
She added that all physical education teachers are certified CPR trainers, and that students in grades six through 12 receive CPR and first aid instruction as part of their curriculum.
Turner then introduced the employees involved in the lifesaving response: varsity basketball coach Andrew Siegel, assistant coach Benjamin Martinez, JV assistant coach Andrew Bock, varsity baseball coach Brian Larusso, teaching assistant and track coach Michael Sabatino and girls’ volleyball coach Elliot Aramini.
“For me, coming into a scene and seeing these gentlemen before you is what made the difference,” Turner said. “We couldn’t be prouder.”
LVFD paramedic Scott Sila, who responded to the call, also addressed the board, and said that everything he needed was already underway when he arrived.
“Within two minutes of being on scene, we had the student back,” Sila said. “By the time we got him on the stretcher, he was talking to us. By the time we got him into the ambulance, it was almost like the event never happened.”
He urged the district to recognize the emotional toll on everyone involved, adding that in tough situations like this one, having trained, calm people at the scene is essential to saving lives.
“These are the calls that terrify us,” Sila said. “(The staff) acted better than some of the times when I roll up on scenes and I have trained first responders.”
Board trustees and parents also expressed their gratitude. Trustee Krystina Tomlinson, whose son was taking part in the tryouts when the incident occurred, thanked the coaches and paramedics, while also commending the student’s courage.
“My son told me this morning, (the student) sent a text to the team to check on them, to let them know that he was OK, and just to help put them at ease,” Tomlinson said. “That just speaks so much for this child, and how great it is that you guys saved his life.”
“Our thoughts and our prayers are with our student,” Turnow said. “We are all so very proud of the Falcon family and all that you guys did.”
