Colorado dad recognizes 'dry drowning' symptoms in son after reading Texas City boy's story
(FOX NEWS) - A father in Colorado was able to recognize "dry drowning" symptoms in his son before it turned fatal after reading about a Texas toddler's recent death due to the rare condition, the family said.
Garon Vega, of Fort Collins, said his 2-year-old son Gio went swimming last Wednesday and complained about head pain shortly after, KUSA reported. The boy reportedly swallowed a small amount of water.
"Little boy started complaining about head pain, he would say, 'mama head hurt, mama head hurt,'” Vega told the news station.
The head pain developed into a fever that persisted throughout the day. Vega started to search the internet about his son's symptoms and came across Frankie Delgado's story, a Texas City toddler whose death is suspected to be caused by "dry drowning," or secondary drowning. The rare condition happens when fluid fills a person's lungs, according to USA Today. It's more common among children and can occur with only a "few gasps" of water through the mouth or nostrils.
The Vegas immediately took their son to the emergency room where doctors discovered a "significant amount of fluid in his lungs."