Local Football Player Collapses, Later Dies
LOWER BURRELL (KDKA)- Students and the community are mourning the loss of a local high school football player.
Noah Cornuet, 16, was exercising around 6 p.m. Wednesday night when he walked off the field and collapsed. He was later pronounced dead at Allegheny Valley Hospital.
Cornuet was a sophomore lineman on Burrell High School's football team.
KDKA's Ross Guidotti Reports:
The community is in shock after learning of his sudden death.
Tweets with the hashtag #RIPNoah are all over Twitter.
Kylie Miller tweeted:
"Funny how the good ones go, Too soon, but the good Lord knows the reasons why I guess" #RipNoah
— Kylie Miller (@KylieMiller10) August 7, 2014
Hunter Burns tweeted:
Prayers go out to the Cornuet family and the Burrell football team. So terrible to hear about a boy dying on the football field. #RipNoah
— Hunter Burns (@WDB_burnsy10) August 7, 2014
Cornuet's family didn't want to speak on camera, but say the teen was a great son, grandson, nephew and brother who made them proud with kindness, compassion and incredible work ethic in all things.
The family says he was also a standout wrestler.
He collapsed during the first of three days of heat acclimation practice. This type of practice allows the body to adapt to heat stress before full-contact practices around the state of Pennsylvania begin on Monday.
That was a new rule put in by the P.I.A.A. back in 2013, that allows schools to start practice three days early in helmets and shoulder pads to help kids acclimate to the heat.
KDKA's Amy Wadas Reports:
Cornuet's older brother and former teammate, Shane, told KDKA's Ross Guidotti the coaching staff immediately began CPR on Noah and used a defibrillator to try to bring the unresponsive young man back to life.
His parents say doctors and nurses at the hospital tried for two hours to save him to no avail.
Candles were placed at the high school Wednesday night to honor the young man's life.
The Cornuet family has released this statement:
"We, the proud parents and brother of Noah Cornuet, are devastated by the sudden loss of our son and brother. We would give anything to have Noah back in our arms. Noah enjoyed the great outdoors, scouting, football, and wrestling. There is no one that Noah would not help. He carried his heart on his sleeve. He loved talking about what he did and what his future plans were. He knew we loved him and we trust that Noah's with his grandparents and in the Lord's hands. We would like to thank the Burrell Community and everyone for the outpouring of love, comfort, and support."
Burrell School District officials released this statement:
"The Burrell School District community recognizes the tragic loss of a student. Our crisis team has been activated and is available to assist students, staff and the community as we cope with this loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family."
There was an autopsy on Cornuet's body Thursday. The medical examiner's office reports he died from Right Atrial Myxoma, which is more commonly known as a heart tumor.
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