NY student dies at hospital during LA band trip

SEAFORD, N.Y. (AP) - A New York school has grief counselors on hand following the death of a student during a band trip to Los Angeles.

Fifteen-year-old Seaford High School sophomore Joseph Tutaj died Tuesday. He had been hospitalized with a high fever.

Robert Tutaj says his son had been very supportive of his loved ones during their struggles.

Newsday says Joseph's father is battling cancer. And the family's Long Island home was flooded during Superstorm Sandy.

Joseph played the trumpet and French horn. His father says the teen also had participated in Model Congress, the Boy Scouts and math competitions.

According to school officials, a hospital report says the student's illness was not contagious.

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