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Thursday, December 2, 2010

Nobody is exempt.

[NB: I discussed the incident with the reporter who covered it and was re-assured that CPR began immediately in the classroom while the school nurse was summoned. CPR was not delayed while waiting for the nurse.]

A Liberty High School student collapsed in his seat at school Thursday morning and was pronounced dead later in the day at St. Luke's Hospital in Fountain Hill, according to the superintendent of the Bethlehem Area School District.

Superintendent Joseph Roy said this evening that the boy, a 10th-grader, was sitting in his seat in English class when he collapsed.
School nurses were summoned immediately and performed CPR until police officers and EMS arrived. Responders also tried to resuscitate the teen until he was transported by ambulance to the hospital, Roy said.

Roy said the Lehigh County coroner's office informed him at 1:30 p.m. that the teenager died.

"The deputy coroner told me that there was nothing that appeared to cause his death and they would have to do an autopsy," Roy said. He declined to identify the boy, saying such information had to be released by the coroner's office.

Chief Deputy Coroner Paul Zondlo said the student was pronounced dead after unsuccessful resuscitation efforts at the hospital. He couldn't give the boy's name until all next of kin is notified.

Zondlo couldn't say what happened until an autopsy is done tomorrow.

Roy said all Liberty parents will receive automated calls later this evening informing them that a student has died. Extra counselors will be at Liberty Friday to help students and staff cope with the death.

"Obviously, we will reach out to the family and students and teachers as well," Roy said.