Family warns of ‘dry drowning’ after son dies days after swimming
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – A family, preparing to bury their 4-year-old child, wants to warn other parents of the medical condition that cost them their son.
Francisco Delgado Jr. says almost a week after a family trip to the Texas City Dike, he called 9-1-1 because his son Frankie stopped breathing.The child had shown symptoms that resembled a stomach bug for several days, including vomiting and diarrhea.
Doctors found fluid in Frankie’s lungs and around his heart, telling the Delgado family, Frankie died of what’s known as “dry drowning.”
Unlike deaths that happened in pools, lakes and at the beach, dry drowning can occur hours, even days, after a person inhales water. The uncommon condition mostly involves young children.
Frankie Delgado. (Courtesy of the Delgado family, via KHOU)
Frankie Delgado. (Courtesy of the Delgado family, via KHOU)