Mom warns of hypothermia after son’s Hampton Beach scare: 'No idea this could happen'

HAMPTON — Heather Cassani did not think cold water would be a worry at Hampton Beach on a sunny 84-degree day.

When her 10-year-old son Declan collapsed in the sand walking back from a swim in the water on July 4, first responders told her he was suffering from hypothermia. She said paramedics and lifeguards rushed to his side as he lost his vision and saw only white for several minutes.

“It happened so fast,” Cassani said. “Out of a million different things, never would I have thought of that.”

She said Declan fully recovered after two hours but it was still one of the "scariest days of my life."

What led to hypothermia for 10-year-old boy

Cassani said she traveled with her family to Hampton Beach from Massachusetts and was joined by her sister, who was visiting from Tampa, Florida. The family stayed at a hotel overnight and hit the beach the next day.

She said they got to the sand at about 11 a.m., when the day started heating up temperature-wise. She said Declan went into the water more than once, and she kept an eye on him.

The third time, she said, he went in the water for about five minutes. When he got out, her son told her he didn’t feel well. Cassani said she offered to bring him back to the soft sand where his father and other family were.

“I said, ‘Oh, it’s probably the waves and the waffles,’” said Cassani, who said they had a big breakfast at the hotel buffet before going to the beach. “They’re probably just not sitting right.”

That's when Declan tripped, or so Cassani thought. He fell onto the back of a woman who was sunbathing, and he was struggling to stand back up.

Cassani was confused. Only later did she learn that was when her son lost vision and did not know where he was stepping.

“He passed out on her,” Cassani said. “Going in and out of consciousness.”

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Declan finally stood up, then walked a few feet and collapsed again. Nearby, beachgoers called 911 as lifeguards and paramedics rushed in to help keep Declan awake. She said they started pouring water on his head, asking him to “stay with me” and “can you hear me?”

Declan vomited some, according to his mother, but ultimately recovered after 20 minutes. First responders told Cassani to keep him warm but not overheat him.

Cassani said first responders told her they sometimes see hypothermia, or “cold shock,” which can turn into hypothermia. They drove home with Declan lightheaded but eventually feeling fine later that day.

Mom goes viral sharing warning story on hypothermia

Cassani’s story has gone viral, shared by her on Facebook and featured on NBC's "TODAY" show. She said she took to Facebook with a “PSA” she hoped would help other parents going to the beach with their children.

In the post, she said she had “no idea this could happen.”

"I've been going to the beach my whole life," she wrote. "I've never seen or heard this happen. The paramedics said they see it a lot especially the lifeguards.

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

At last check, the post had received 202 comments on Facebook, as well as 13,400 shares. Last week, "TODAY" show producers reached out to her.

Cassani said she is happy about the platform to share the word about hypothermia, having posted on a whim.

“I just thought, it’s Fourth of July weekend, I know a lot of my friends are going up there to the beach,“ Cassani said. “I just wanted to say 'hey, this is the most random thing that’s ever happened to me.' I just wanted everybody else to be aware.”

How to understand hypothermia risks

Hampton Fire Chief Michael McMahon said hypothermia is a risk for anyone in water that’s colder than their body temperature. The condition occurs when core body temperature drops below 95 degrees Fahrenheit and results in the body losing heat faster than it can produce.

“Water sucks the heat out of you much faster,” McMahon said. He said the temperature in the water at Hampton Beach will not get warmer than 70 degrees and that while he wouldn’t call hypothermia common in the summer, he said it’s “always a possibility.”

Cassani said her son still loves the water. She doesn’t want kids to be afraid of the water, but for beachgoers to be watchful.

“You don’t want to make them scared,” Cassani said, “But you want to make sure you’re doing your best.”

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This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Mom warns of hypothermia after son’s Hampton Beach scare: 'No idea this could happen'