5-year-old boy resuscitated after heart stops during an amusement park ride
A 5-year-old boy in Florida passed out during a rollercoaster ride at Disney World Orlando.
According to the boy’s mom, Christine Tagle, the alarming incident happened on Sept. 21 after her whole family boarded their favorite Guardians of the Galaxy ride.
About 20 seconds into the ride, the boy, Ernesto, lost consciousness and couldn’t be woken up. The mom had to sit through the whole ride next to her son’s limp body.
As soon as the ride ended, the mother cried out for help. The staff on standby immediately took action and shocked the boy with an automated external defibrillator (AED).
Tagle placed her son on the floor of the hallway and performed CPR, while the staff used an AED to restart the child's heart.
Ernesto survived the terrifying situation and was quickly rushed to the hospital.
Medical tests revealed that the young boy suffered from a genetic heart condition, catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, that flared up during their family trip to Disney World.
In a Facebook post, the family shared that Ernesto had a successful recovery following an emergency surgery, with his father noting that he is “doing well with no signs of brain or heart damage.”