VIDEO: Hillsborough deputy saves high school student with CPR after collapse

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. - A family in Hillsborough County said their 17-year-old son is alive after an AED was used to save his life after he collapsed during track practice.  

Ansel Laureano, 17, collapsed on the track at Leto High School during practice last week. One of the track coaches said their practice started out like every other practice.

"Ansel was in good spirits," Lauren Palek, the girls track coach at Leto High School, said. "We did a warm up mile, and he was joking about his mile time. Regular Monday."

READ: Multiple RVs destroyed in early morning fire at dealership in Dover

After one of their first training exercises, Palek said Laureano suddenly collapsed when he reached the finish line.

"He just dropped," Palek said.

As a three-sport athlete and starter on the soccer team, Laureano never expected something like this to happen.

"It doesn’t even seem real, because I do this every day," Laureano said. "It’s my thing."

Palek said she was the only coach on the field at the time, so she raced over to Laureano, while she called the principal’s office and got on the phone with 911.

"It almost looked like he was having a seizure, to be honest," she said. "So when I was talking to the 911 operator, and we were checking his vitals, even though he was still kind of moving, we could tell he wasn’t breathing. So then, she instructed me to start CPR." 

Assistant Principal Scott Hazlett heard the call on the radio about a student who had collapsed, so he grabbed the AED and raced down to the track.

"When I got to the track, and you’re looking, it’s almost surreal," Hazlett said.

Within minutes, Hillsborough County Deputy Deena Biland got to the school to help. When she arrived, the student was already hooked up to an AED and had received an initial shock, according to HCSO. 

She began CPR until Hillsborough County Fire Rescue arrived and administered a second shock from their AED. The student regained a pulse and was taken to St. Joseph's Main Hospital. 

Laureano’s mother, Bismeiry Lantigua, said she got a call from the school, telling her that something happened to her son and that she needed to come there. As she was getting in the car, she said the principal called with a more urgent message.

"'Your son is critical, and the ambulance is here,'" Lantigua said. "'He has to get out right now, because he’s not responding.'"

Lantigua said she raced to meet her son at the hospital. She said he was lifeless for eight minutes throughout this whole process.

She was overcome with emotion when he finally woke up.

"Oh it’s a miracle," Lantigua said. "I’m just crying, crying."

After spending several days in the hospital, Laureano was able to come home. In about a week and a half, his family said he’s made leaps and bounds in his recovery.

Laureano is excited to get back to being a kid.

"I hope I get back on the track," he said. "I hope I can do my sports again."

Deputy Biland said it’s hard to process these types of calls when you’re responding and making quick decisions in the moment, but she said there are few times she’s been happier than when she was able to go see Laureano and his family in the hospital.

"These calls stick with you, and I’ll absolutely remember it my entire career," Biland said.

Laureano’s family will remember this as a miracle.

"It feels good that the school was ready to help me and everything, and that I actually made it out," Laureano said. "I’m just really grateful for my school and everything for helping me and stuff, and for the deputy that revived me."

Laureano’s mother hope he continues to progress and recover, but she said this is a reminder of how precious life can be.

"God gave a huge one for me," Lantigua said.

The school says this situation shines a light on how knowing how and when to use an AED can be lifesaving.