Ernesto Tagle Florida 5 year old boy goes into cardiac arrest riding Disney World ride at theme park with only quick thinking action by his mom & strangers saving the boy’s life.
It could’ve ended very differently… A 5 year old Florida boy went into cardiac arrest, with his heart stopping while riding one of Disney World’s rides at the theme park.
Ernesto Tagle, 5, stopped breathing and started seizing about 20 seconds into riding Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind — an enclosed roller coaster in Epcot — leading to the boy’s parents ‘frantically’ fearing for their unconscious son’s life for the remainder of the ride.
‘I was screaming, hitting him, and saying something’s wrong,’ the boy’s mother, Christine Tagle, told Fox 35 of the Sept. 21 incident.
‘One of their favorite rides…’
‘He’d ridden the ride before, so I really didn’t understand what was going on,’ the mom told the outlet. ‘We had to complete the ride, like there’s no way to stop it or get off of it.’
The Tagle family — who are Disney passholders — thought it was a normal day at the family theme park when they boarded one of their ‘favorite’ rides.
Tagle was sitting a row behind her son when the 5 year old passed out — leaving her searching for his pulse during the ride.
The mother performed CPR on her son once the 60-mph coaster ended, along with being ‘fortunately’ assisted by a passing couple, a nurse and EMT, and a Disney employee who provided an automated external defibrillator to restart the boy’s heart before he was rushed to the hospital via helicopter.
Ernesto was taken to three different hospitals and underwent ‘test after test’ before he was diagnosed with catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) — a rare heart condition that can flare up during periods of extreme excitement or activity, the boy’s father, also named Ernesto Tagle, wrote in a Sept. 27 Instagram post.
Family grateful to couple who sprang into action & helped save 5 year old’s life
The hospital determined that the boy would need to have surgery to place an ‘EV-ICD,’ or ‘extravascular defibrillator’ which treats sudden cardiac arrest and abnormal heart rhythms, on his body.
Doctors placed a device in Ernesto’s chest that treats life-threatening heart arrhythmias and sudden cardiac arrest, the father said, adding that he is recovering with no signs of brain or heart damage.
Within days, little Ernesto was back to his happy, high-energy self.
The relieved father said his ‘warrior’ son is home and is eager to ride his motorcycle, showcasing photos of a happy and seemingly healthy Ernesto in the post.
‘Every doctor that had come into our room while we were at the hospital with him, they all credited Christine for saving his life basically,’ Ernesto told WFLA.
‘When it comes to matters of the heart and the brain, with CPR, every second and every minute truly counts,’ mom, Christine said.
The family said they are thankful for the people who sprang into action to save their son.
‘We just feel so lucky this didn’t rob us of his smile and energy,’ mom, Christine Tagle told media.
