Quick CPR and AED Response Save Toronto Teacher During Pickup Basketball Game

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The Day Everything Changed

On November 23, Turco was playing pickup basketball at Neil McNeil High School, where he teaches physical education. After more than an hour on the court, a friend asked if he wanted one more game.

“I said, ‘Yeah sure, I’m good,’” Turco recalled.
Those were the last words he remembered before collapsing.

Gerald Rozario, a teammate, said there were no warning signs. Turco had just scored a basket and was jogging backward when he suddenly fell to the ground.

Rozario instantly called for someone to phone 911 and told another player to retrieve the AED from the gym. He and two other men immediately began CPR—skills Rozario had learned in training but never expected to perform in a real emergency.

When they couldn’t detect a pulse, they cut Turco’s shirt and applied the AED.

CPR + AED: The Difference Between Life and Death

Their rapid response changed everything.

Paramedic Steven Deans, the first on scene, said he could see Turco’s chest rising even from across the gym—a strong sign that CPR was working.

Paramedic Chris Miller noted:

“This is the first time I’ve seen bystanders come together like that.”

Survival rates for cardiac arrest double when CPR and an AED are used within the first few minutes.

By the time paramedics loaded Turco into the ambulance, he was awake, speaking—
and even joking that his wife “hates when he plays basketball.”

He hopes to return to the court once cleared by his cardiologist.

Learn CPR — It Saves Lives

Turco is alive today because three people stepped forward and knew how to act.
With proper training, you could save someone too.

Start learning CPR & AED skills here:
👉 https://firstaidcalgary.ca/cpr-courses/