Parents Warned After 10-Year-Old Nearly Dies From a Hidden Danger at the Beach (2 of 2)
Panic set in. Danielle screamed for help, and a lifeguard sprinted over. “He was disoriented, like he didn’t even know where he was,” she recalls, her voice breaking. “One minute he was playing in the waves, the next I thought I was losing him.”
The lifeguards rushed Jason to the first aid station and called an ambulance. As paramedics worked, Danielle kept replaying the scene in her mind. He hadn’t been under for more than a few seconds. He hadn’t even seemed to swallow much water. So what on earth was happening?
Doctors later told Danielle something that shook her to the core: Jason had suffered what’s known as secondary drowning. It’s a rare but terrifying condition that can occur hours—even days—after a child breathes in just a small amount of water. The fluid irritates the lungs, causing swelling and difficulty breathing. Left untreated, it can be fatal.
“I had never even heard of it,” Danielle admitted. “We’re taught to watch our kids while they’re in the water, but nobody tells you that the danger can follow you home.”
Jason spent two nights in the hospital under close observation. Thankfully, doctors were able to stabilize him, and he’s expected to make a full recovery. But his mother says the ordeal has left her shaken—and determined to spread awareness.
Now, Danielle is warning other parents: don’t ignore the signs. If your child has been swimming and later complains of chest pain, fatigue, coughing, or vomiting, it’s not just “swallowing a little water.” It could be something far more dangerous.
According to pediatricians, while secondary drowning is rare, it can progress quickly. Symptoms include:
- Persistent coughing or gagging
- Trouble breathing or rapid, shallow breaths
- Chest pain
- Fatigue or sudden mood changes
- Vomiting after swimming
If you notice these signs, doctors urge parents to seek medical help immediately. “It’s always better to be overly cautious,” one pediatric ER physician explained. “Minutes can make all the difference.”
For Danielle, the beach will never feel quite the same. “I keep thinking about what might have happened if I had brushed it off,” she said. “We were lucky. Not every family gets that chance.”
As summer winds down and families squeeze in those last trips to the shore, her message is simple but powerful: watch your children, even after they’re out of the water. Because for Jason, a fun day in the sun nearly turned into an unthinkable nightmare—and no parent ever wants to live that moment.