A fun-filled day at the beach can quickly turn into a nightmare, as one Massachusetts mother, Heather Cassini, recently discovered. Cassini’s 10-year-old son, Declan, collapsed after playing in the ocean, leaving his mother shaken and eager to warn others about the dangers of hypothermia.
The incident occurred on July 4 at Hampton Beach in New Hampshire, where Cassini and her family had gathered to celebrate the holiday. After spending time in the ocean, Declan suddenly complained of not feeling well. At first, Cassini thought it was just a case of too much breakfast and the heat, but as they began to head back to their beach blanket, Declan became disoriented and collapsed onto a nearby sunbather.
Despite being able to stand up again, Declan stumbled to the ground once more, leaving Cassini frantically trying to pick him up. “He was going in and out of consciousness and vomiting,” Cassini recalled. “And he was so pale.” Thankfully, a group of women nearby, including several nurses, quickly came to their aid, helping to keep Declan conscious and warm until paramedics arrived.
It was later determined that Declan had suffered from hypothermia due to the 52-degree ocean water. Cassini admitted that she had no idea this could happen, especially on a hot summer day. “You think about sunburns and dehydration and all the things that can happen in the water, but I never considered cold shock,” she said.
Now that Declan has fully recovered, Cassini wants to spread the word about the risks of hypothermia, even in the midst of summer. Her message is simple yet important: just because the air temperature is warm, it doesn’t mean the ocean water is safe. “Just a warning to those with kids who feel no cold and love the water,” Cassini wrote on Facebook. “Just because they can handle it doesn’t mean they can handle it.”
