Family Warning About 'Dry Drowning' After Death Of Son
HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS (CBS)—A family in Texas is warning others after their 4-year-old son died from "dry drowning".
CBS affiliate KHOU reports that young Frankie Delgado stopped breathing about a week after swimming on a family trip.
Frankie's dad, Francisco Delgado Jr., says his son showed symptoms that resembled a stomach bug for several days, including vomiting and diarrhea.
Doctors say they found fluid in Frankie's lungs and around his heart. He died from what's known as "dry drowning".
WARNING: Parasite 'Crypto' Could Be In Your Swimming Pool, CDC Says
Medical professionals say symptoms of "dry drowning" and "secondary drowning" can be hard to spot, but can include respiratory difficulties, coughing, sleeplessness, fatigue and vomiting.
"They're trying to breathe against those closed vocal cords which can lead to inflammation, swelling and fluid in the lungs," said Dr. Thomas Waters, an emergency medicine doctor who practices in Cleveland, OH. "Another possibility is they get just a little bit of the fluid into their lungs, they recover, but then hours later that again causes inflammation, more fluid and respiratory distress."
Both dry drowning and secondary drowning are a result of small amounts water entering the airway or lungs during swimming, which later set off sometimes deadly reactions within the body.
"If you have any concern whatsoever, the best thing to do is err on the side of caution and take that loved one to the emergency department," said Waters.
To learn more about Dry Drowning, CLICK HERE.