Mother’s Urgent Warning After 10-Year-Old Collapses During Ocean Play

There’s no better way to escape the scorching temperatures than spending a day at the beach. However, as one Massachusetts mother discovered, the shore can also pose its own unique set of dangers.

Heather Cassini, 40, is now warning others after a terrifying incident involving her 10-year-old son, Declan, at Hampton Beach in New Hampshire on July 4th. Despite the scare happening over a week ago, Cassini says she is still “shaking.”

During their beach visit, Declan suddenly complained of not feeling well. Initially, Cassini wasn’t worried. It was a hot day, and Declan had been playing in the ocean.

“I thought the breakfast was just too much for the waves and he just needed to lay down,” Cassini wrote in a now-viral Facebook post. But as they began to head back, Declan became “disoriented” and collapsed onto a sunbather.

Although he managed to stand up, he soon stumbled and fell again.

“I’m pregnant and frantically trying to pick him up,” Cassini told Today.com. “He’s going in and out of consciousness and vomiting. And he was so pale.”

A group of nearby women saw the commotion and immediately jumped into action. Paramedics checked Declan’s vitals and worked to keep him conscious and warm.

“God bless all the people around us. There were so many nurses,” Cassini said.

“After what felt like an eternity, he was up and talking. We waited for him to feel better and got him to the car,” Cassini wrote.

It was determined that Declan had hypothermia from the 52-degree ocean water.

“I had no idea that this could happen,” Cassini said. “You think about sunburns and dehydration and all the things that can happen in the water, but I never considered cold shock.”

Now that Declan has fully recovered, Cassini wants to warn others about the risk of becoming hypothermic during the summer.

“Just a warning to those with kids who feel no cold and love the water. Just because they can handle it doesn’t mean they can handle it.”

Cassini’s message is clear: hypothermia can occur even on a hot summer day. It’s an important reminder for everyone, not just those with children.