Francesco Allocca, Locust Valley High student who went into cardiac arrest at basketball tryouts, thanks 'heroes' who saved him

Locust Valley High School senior Francesco Allocca was in the midst of a moment he had long been preparing for — varsity basketball tryouts — when the unthinkable happened.

Just after finishing a drill, the 6-foot-4 forward collapsed in a gym at Locust Valley Middle and High School on Nov. 17, a teammate and coaches recalled. He turned very pale and struggled to breathe.

Allocca, who was getting ready for his final high school basketball season, had gone into cardiac arrest. To save the teen's life, coaches, staff and first responders swooped in, providing CPR and using an automated external defibrillator, as well as providing other medical treatment to revive him.

More than a week later, on the day before Thanksgiving, Allocca got the opportunity to say thank you to the coaches and medical professionals who delivered him from danger.

Speaking during an event at Northwell Health’s Glen Cove Hospital on Wednesday, Allocca said, “I don’t think there’s enough I can say to really express my gratitude toward them."

'Every second matters'

A big part of why Allocca is alive is due to the coaches and medical professionals who quickly started CPR and used the automated external defibrillator, physicians said Wednesday.

“These are heroes, right in our midst,” said Dr. Mityanand Ramnarine, Emergency Department chairperson. “Performing CPR and using that AED … was absolutely, absolutely lifesaving when it comes to cardiac arrest.”

For Allocca, the details of his collapse are still murky, even as he grapples with the day’s aftereffects.

“It’s something I really couldn’t process,” he said. “I’m still in shock.”

Allocca, members of his family said, had been excited about the upcoming season, practicing nearly every day.

“I worked the entire offseason for this,” he recalled.

Coaches spotted Allocca on the floor and knew something was wrong. They sprang into action, called 911 and started CPR on the teen.

When Scott Sila, a lead paramedic with the Locust Valley Fire Department, arrived at the gym, he said Allocca wasn’t breathing and no pulse was detected.

Paramedics intervened and soon noticed Allocca’s mouth moving. By the time he was on the stretcher, Sila said, “he just came right back to life.”

“This was one of those calls where every second matters, and every second exactly what needed to be done got done,” Sila said.

Allocca arrived at Glen Cove Hospital, where the staff worked to stabilize him. Physicians worked closely with Northwell’s Cohen Children's Medical Center, where Allocca was eventually transferred.

Physicians said Wednesday that Allocca had a heart rhythm abnormality, but they are still working to identify its cause. The teen has been outfitted with a defibrillator that sits on the outside of his chest, monitoring to see if his heart beats at an abnormal rhythm and giving him a shock if it does.

Allocca’s mother, Pia, said it was hard to express how happy she is to have her son alive.

“He did fight, and he’s a strong kid,” she said.

On Wednesday, Allocca's condition had improved. He can take a walk and is out of the hospital.

The teen is still part of his school's basketball team, but he cannot play just yet.

“At the end of the day,” he said, “I’m just thankful to be here.”