On July 4, Cassini, 40, was at Hampton Beach in New Hampshire with her family when her 10-year-old son, Declan, suddenly felt unwell. Initially, Cassini wasn’t worried, thinking the heat and ocean play were to blame. But as they headed back for Declan to rest, he became disoriented and collapsed.
“He’s going in and out of consciousness and vomiting. And he was so pale,” Cassini told Today.com.
Nearby women, many of whom were nurses, quickly helped. Paramedics checked Declan’s vitals, keeping him conscious and warm. Cassini wrote on Facebook, “God bless all the people around us. There were so many nurses.” After some time, Declan recovered enough to be taken to the car.
It was determined that Declan had hypothermia from the 52-degree ocean water. Cassini, surprised by this, noted, “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 warns others, “Just because kids can handle the water doesn’t mean they can handle it.”
This serves as an important reminder about summer hypothermia risks.
