What Is Dry Drowning?
Frankie Delgado, a 4-year-old, tragically died last week following a swimming trip over Memorial Day weekend. Doctors suspect the culprit to be dry drowning. But what is dry drowning anyway?
Dry drowning happens when a person breathes in water that causes the airways to close, resulting in trouble breathing. It is particularly scary because dry drowning can occur even after swimming. It is also more common among children because they are smaller, though adults may also experience it.
Frankie was unfortunately the victim of dry drowning and died on Saturday at East Houston Regional Hospital in Texas. After going swimming and swallowing water, the boy experienced an upset stomach and coughing. And while he initially seemed to be recovering, he ultimately collapsed.
"Out of nowhere, he just woke up. He said ahhh," Frankie's father, Francisco Delgado Jr., told ABC13.com. "He took his last breath and I didn't know what to do no more."
Common symptoms of dry drowning include coughing, chest pain, trouble breathing and feeling extremely tired. An autopsy is still ongoing to diagnose Frankie's official cause of death.
However, Frankie's death was not in vain, as it resulted in more public awareness about dry drowning. In fact, his story saved the life of 2-year-old Gio Vega from Colorado.
Gio's father, Staff Sgt. Garon Vega, told the same publication that a similar thing happened to his son. Gio reportedly started exhibiting signs of dry drowning, including trouble breathing, and was immediately rushed to the emergency room.
"I feel like I needed to reach out to the parents of little Frankie and tell them, I don't know how to word it, but their little boy saved our little boy's life. There was a purpose," the Staff Sgt. told ABC13.com, explaining further that his wife had read about Frankie which made them realize that it was dry drowning.
