Alaska high school football star dies after suddenly collapsing in gym class

Fifteen-year-old Levi Curry, a promising football player at Eagle River High School in Alaska, died after collapsing during gym class. He was declared brain-dead the following night, and his family said CPR was given while he was taken to hospital. His death has prompted tributes from his school, teammates and coach, who remembered him as a joyful and valued presence.

Curry’s parents said he had been born with a heart condition and had recently undergone surgery that had almost cured it. He was a ninth-grader who had become the first of his coach’s ninth-graders to start on the varsity team’s offensive line in 17 years. More than 500 people attended his funeral on Wednesday; shortly before his collapse, he had called his father excitedly to share news that he was being honoured as one of Alaska’s top football players.