In a heart-wrenching turn of events, a spirited 4-year-old Texan boy named Francisco Delgado III, affectionately known as “Baby Frankie” by his parents, tragically lost his life after an outing to the Texas City Dike near Galveston turned into a nightmare. What was meant to be a joyful family swim became a devastating ordeal that ended in a dry drowning tragedy.
Frankie displayed signs of an upset stomach shortly after their swim, but the Delgado family believed it to be a passing discomfort. Little did they know that a seemingly innocuous incident would lead to unimaginable sorrow. A week after their aquatic adventure, in the dead of night, Frankie abruptly woke up, struggling to breathe. His father, Francisco Delgado Jr., recalled the harrowing moment, saying, “Out of the blue, he just woke up. He said ahhh,” as tears welled in his eyes. “He took his final breath, and I felt utterly helpless.”
Panicked and desperate, Francisco Jr. dialed 911, and Frankie was rushed to the hospital. Frankie’s mother, Tara Delgado, recounted the agony she felt, exclaiming, “I rushed in, desperate to touch my baby. I thought maybe he needed his mama’s embrace.” However, when the doctor entered, the crushing truth was revealed. Tara choked back tears as she shared, “The doctor informed us that it was dry drowning. His little lungs were overwhelmed with fluid. There was nothing more they could do for him.”
Frankie had succumbed to fluid in his lungs and around his heart, a tragic consequence of dry drowning, as reported by WXIN. Dry drowning can strike hours or even days after water inhalation, with symptoms including labored breathing, persistent coughing, excessive fatigue, sleepiness, and vomiting. Explaining this phenomenon, Dr. Purva Grover, the medical director of Cleveland Clinic Children’s pediatric emergency departments, clarified,
“Your child may not have shown immediate symptoms after the swim, but they can struggle to breathe during the night. It takes a few hours for the fluid to build up in the lungs.”
Dr. Kay Leaming-Van Zandt from Texas Children’s Hospital emphasized the silent and swift nature of drowning, saying, “It only takes a split second. Drowning is a silent act, unlike what we often see in movies with a lot of commotion.”
Though dry drowning incidents are relatively rare, Grover urged parents to remain vigilant and informed about the risk. She advised, “In the event of a near-drowning incident, it’s crucial to seek professional advice as the first step.”
The heart-wrenching loss of young Frankie serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of water safety awareness and the need for swift action when any unusual symptoms arise after a day of swimming.