A day at the beach is a great way to escape the extreme heat, but a mother from Massachusetts found out that the beach has its own dangers.
Now, she wants to warn others.
Even though it happened over a week ago, Heather Cassini says she’s still “shaking.”
On July 4, Declan, Heather Cassini’s 10-year-old son, suddenly said he didn’t feel well while they were at Hampton Beach in New Hampshire.
Cassini wasn’t worried at first because Declan had been playing in the ocean, and it was hot.
In a now-popular Facebook post, Cassini wrote, “I thought he just had too much breakfast for the waves and needed to rest.”
But when they started to head back so Declan could lie down, he became confused, bumped into someone, and fell.
Although he got back up, he collapsed again.
Cassini, who is pregnant, told Today.com, “I was desperately trying to help him up.” Declan was vomiting, going in and out of consciousness, and looked very pale.
When a group of women nearby noticed what was happening, they quickly stepped in to help. Paramedics arrived and tried to keep Declan warm and alert while checking his vital signs.
Cassini said, “There were so many nurses around us. God bless them all.”
After what felt like forever, Declan finally started talking again. Cassini wrote that they got him to the car and waited for him to feel better.
It turned out that Declan had hypothermia because the ocean temperature was only 52 degrees.
Cassini said, “I had no idea this could happen.” “I never thought about cold shock; you usually worry about sunburns, dehydration, and other dangers in the water.”
After Declan’s surprising recovery, Cassini wants to warn others about the risk of hypothermia in the summer.
“Just a reminder to parents with kids who love the water and don’t feel cold. Just because they don’t feel chilly doesn’t mean they can handle it.”
It never crossed my mind that hypothermia could happen on a hot summer day! This is an important message not just for parents, but for everyone.