There’s nothing quite like heading to the beach to cool off when summer temperatures soar. The waves, the breeze, and the water offer some relief from the heat—but one Massachusetts mom discovered that hidden risks can come with the ocean, even on a hot day.
Now, she’s determined to warn other parents.
Although it’s been over a week since the incident, 40-year-old Heather Cassini says she’s still “shaken” by what happened to her 10-year-old son, Declan, on Independence Day.
On July 4, Heather and her family took a trip to Hampton Beach in New Hampshire. Declan had been playing in the surf when he suddenly told his mom he wasn’t feeling well.
At first, Heather didn’t panic. It was a hot day, and she figured her son was just tired from splashing in the ocean.
“I assumed he’d eaten too much breakfast and just needed to rest after swimming in the waves,” she explained in a Facebook post that has since gone viral.
But as they started heading back so Declan could lie down, things took a terrifying turn. The boy became disoriented, stumbled, and collapsed—right onto a nearby beachgoer.
Declan managed to stand again, but moments later, he fell a second time.
“I’m pregnant, and I was frantically trying to pick him up,” Heather told Today.com. “He kept drifting in and out of consciousness, vomiting, and his skin was frighteningly pale.”
A group of women sitting close by immediately rushed over to help. Many of them were nurses. They gathered around Declan until paramedics arrived, checking his vitals and working to keep him awake and warm.
“God bless all the people who stepped in,” Heather said. “There were so many nurses right there when we needed them.”
After what Heather described as “an eternity,” Declan finally perked up, started talking again, and gradually regained his strength. Once he was stable, they were able to get him back to their car.
Doctors later determined that Declan had developed hypothermia—a result of playing in the 52-degree ocean water.
“I had no idea something like this was even possible,” Heather admitted. “I’ve always thought about sunburns, dehydration, rip currents, or drowning. But cold shock? That never crossed my mind.”
Thankfully, Declan has now made a full recovery. But Heather is using her family’s scare as a warning to other parents who may underestimate the risks.
“Just a heads up for those of you with kids who don’t seem to feel the cold and absolutely love the water,” she wrote. “Just because they can handle it doesn’t mean their bodies actually can.”
Her story has spread quickly online, leaving many stunned to learn that hypothermia is possible even on scorching summer days. It’s a reminder, Heather hopes, that awareness could save another child.