17-year-old student dies following cardiac arrest in Halkidiki school

A 17-year-old student has died following a sudden cardiac arrest at the 1st General Lyceum of Pefkochori in Halkidiki. The medical emergency occurred on the morning of Friday, September 18, 2026, shortly after 10:30 a.m., while the student was on the school premises during a break.

Upon collapsing, school staff immediately contacted the National Emergency Center (EKAB) and local doctor Konstantinos Lazaridis, vice president of the organization KIDS SAVE LIVES. Dr. Lazaridis arrived within three minutes equipped with a defibrillator. He found the student in cardiac arrest and initiated resuscitation efforts, using the device to deliver an initial shock. Although the teenager briefly regained a heart rhythm, he subsequently suffered another cardiac arrest. He was intubated and transported to the Hippokrateion Hospital in Thessaloniki, where he remained in critical condition with severe cerebral edema. Despite extensive medical efforts to stabilize his condition in the coronary unit, he eventually succumbed to his injuries.

Local authorities and the school community are mourning the loss of the teenager. While initial reports were contradictory regarding whether the incident happened inside or outside the school, later testimonies confirmed it took place in the schoolyard.