Titus Mark Wininger, Escondido, California, 11 year old boy had medical emergency at Wild Rivers water park determined to have died as a result of congenital heart condition that his family may or may not have known about.
An 11-year-old who suffered a medical emergency over the weekend at Wild Rivers water park has been revealed to have died as a result of a congenital heart condition, California authorities said.
Titus Mark Wininger, of Escondido, CA had anomalous insertion of coronary arteries, according to Orange County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Matt Parrish.
The condition is characterized by a coronary artery that has an abnormality or malformation and is typically related to the artery being in the wrong spot.
Did boy’s family know about underlying health condition?
It can cause a disruption in normal blood flow to the heart, which can result in chest pain, shortness of breath or, in some cases, death.
The rare condition currently only affects about 1% of the population, and many show no symptoms.
Law enforcement and fire officials responded mid-day Saturday to the Irvine area park and took the eleven year old boy to the hospital, following reports of a boy needing medical aid. Despite the swift response, the boy died the same day, with officials saying the eleven year old’s death did not appear to be water-related according to the Orange County Register.
Wininger had been visiting the park with a youth group when he became unresponsive, according to a GoFundMe for the family.
‘Our hearts go out to the boy’s family and loved ones during this difficult time,’ Wild Rivers said in part in a Facebook post. ‘We ask that you keep them in your thoughts and prayers.’
Wininger’s condition, in which a coronary artery is formed incorrectly before birth, affects up to 1 percent of the population and in most cases is not dangerous, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Diagnosing an anomalous coronary artery can be difficult because some people don’t have symptoms.
More use of echocardiography in kids has resulted in greater diagnoses of coronary artery anomalies in children and adolescents, according to the American Heart Association.
It was not clear whether Wininger’s family was aware of his condition.
