Schoolboy who ‘died’ after cardiac arrest in a swimming pool makes full recovery


A schoolboy whose heart stopped beating for 25 minutes after his body was pulled from a swimming pool has made a miraculous recovery.

Cade Ewington, 11, was rescued by quick-thinking swimming teachers when they saw him fall unconscious and lying face down in the water.

The youngster had suffered from a cardiac arrest but paramedics were on the scene within five minutes to perform life-saving CPR.

But they struggled to restart his heart and Cade hadn’t taken a breath for 25 minutes – meaning he was medically dead.

The schoolboy, from Luton, was later diagnosed and treated for a rare heart rhythm condition which triggered the cardiac arrest.

Cade Ewington, 11, was classed as ‘medically dead’ after suffering from a cardiac arrest but paramedics were on the scene within five minutes to perform life-saving CPR

He was later diagnosed and treated for a rare condition which made him suffer cardiac arrest

His father Mark, 46, spoke of the horror of seeing his son at death’s door after walking into the hospital and seeing medics trying their best to stablise him.

The father-of-four from Luton, said: ‘He is my absolute everything and I can hand on heart say that I thought it was the end.

‘There were a dozen medical staff and police over him, they looked at us and you could tell no one wanted to give us the news.

‘He was out cold on the bed and we didn’t know if he was alive or dead – you never want to see your son like that.

‘This just shows the importance of people knowing CPR when they work in leisure centres as without that lifeguard, Cade wouldn’t be here.

‘We are indebted to the life guards because if it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t have a son.

‘The fact of the matter is, a week after it happened he was up and moving. Now four weeks later he’s going to rock concerts and all sorts.

‘He was a ticking time bomb but he’s basically safer now than he has ever been before and it hasn’t fazed him.’

Cade, who was already a confident swimmer, became unresponsive during his first school swimming lesson at Active Luton’s Lewsey Pool on June 6.

He was rushed to Luton and Dunstable Hospital after six paramedics from the East of England Ambulance Service managed to restart his heart.

Cade was then taken to Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) where doctors decided to sedate him for two days to protect his brain which was swollen from the trauma.

The youngster has since been fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) fitted which will restart his heart if he suffers another cardiac arrest

He was rushed to Luton and Dunstable hospital after six paramedics from the East of England Ambulance Service managed to restart his heart

Cade’s heart problem is known as Long QT where there are problems with the electrical activity of the heart, which his doctor described as ‘very rare’

He was in hospital for two weeks but has remarkably escaped with no brain damage other than not being able to remember the ordeal.

His father added: ‘Cade was very dazed and confused when he was taken out of the sedation as he had lost his short term memory, but slowly he started to get it back.

‘He knows his future is going to be different but he has come to terms with it quickly and Cade is very strong minded and strong willed.’

The youngster has since had an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) fitted which will restart his heart if he suffers another cardiac arrest.

The ICD is battery-powered and keeps track of a person’s heart rate – if an abnormal heart rhythm is detected, the device will deliver an electric shock to restore it to normal.

Cade’s heart problem is known as Long QT where there are problems with the electrical activity of the heart, which his doctor described as ‘very rare’.

The youngster said: ‘Thank you to everyone, especially my friends for coming to visit me all the way at GOSH.

He was in hospital for two weeks but has remarkably escaped with no brain damage other than not being able to remember the ordeal, pictured with father Mark, 46 and mother Sam, 39

‘It’s been an amazing journey and a special thank you to the lifeguard for saving my life and to the wonderful doctors and nurses for looking after me so well.

‘I hate why it happened but love the ICD as it will keep me safe forever.’

His mother Sam, 39, added: ‘It’s been an experience I can never really put into words.

‘It is simply every parent’s worse fear but due to the strength and positive outlook on life it has made us as a family stronger than ever and got us through it with a smile.’

The young Arsenal fan has to have the batteries in his ICD changed every eight years and the results are directly gathered from the device and sent to GOSH to be analysed every night.

Dr Juan Kaski, consultant paediatric cardiologist at GOSH, said it was ‘extremely lucky’ that Cade didn’t end up with any brain damage.

He said: ‘Cade’s heart went into a chaotic rhythm called ventricular fibrillation, which effectively means that the heart is unable to pump any blood, and this is equivalent to the heart having stopped.

‘The care that Cade received, particularly in the immediate moments while he was being resuscitated, was exceptional care and as a result of that he has done extremely well.

‘He is extremely lucky that he doesn’t have any significant brain damage.

‘If the resuscitation hadn’t been so good, it could have been a different story. We have treated a number of children in a similar situation who have ended up with brain damage.

‘While his own heart wasn’t beating by itself, he had such a good outcome because of all the life support he received.’

Cardiac arrests in children are very rare, and are often caused by genetic heart conditions that can run in families 

Since his traumatic ordeal Cade has met with the lifeguards, swimming teachers and paramedics who helped save his life just over a month ago.