Gina Heslop
Heather Cassini, a 40-year-old mother from Massachusetts, experienced a terrifying incident on July 4 that she now wants to share to help other parents. She was at Hampton Beach in New Hampshire with her family when her 10-year-old son, Declan, suddenly fell ill. Initially, she wasn’t too worried, thinking the hot weather and playing in the ocean had just tired him out. Declan mentioned not feeling well, and she assumed he might have had too much breakfast and needed to rest.
As they were heading back for Declan to lie down, he became disoriented and collapsed onto a sunbather. He managed to stand up but soon fell again. Cassini, who is pregnant, tried to help him while he was going in and out of consciousness and vomiting. She described him as looking very pale, which made her extremely worried.
Fortunately, a group of women sitting nearby saw what was happening and quickly offered their assistance. Paramedics arrived and checked Declan’s vitals, trying to keep him awake and warm.
The crowd included many nurses, which Cassini found to be a blessing. After what felt like an eternity to her, Declan started to feel better and began talking again. They waited until he was more stable before taking him to the car.
It was later determined that Declan had suffered from hypothermia due to the cold ocean water, which was around 52 degrees. Cassini was shocked because she hadn’t realized that hypothermia could occur in the summer. People often worry about sunburns and dehydration at the beach, but cold shock wasn’t something she had considered.
With Declan now fully recovered, Cassini is using this experience to warn other parents. She emphasized that even if children love the water and don’t seem to feel the cold, it doesn’t mean they are safe from hypothermia. Her message is clear: parents need to be aware of this risk and ensure their children don’t stay too long in cold water, even on hot days.
