Boy, five, resuscitated as mother forced to stay on Disney World ride next to son's limp body after his heart stopped

2 October 2024, 12:51

A mother has revealed her horrors after she was forced to remain strapped into a rollercoaster next to her son's limp body after his heart stopped 20 seconds into the ride.

Christine Tagle, from Florida, US, said her family boarded their "favourite" Guardians of the Galaxy ride at Disney World Orlando last month when he son passed out.

Shortly after the rollercoaster took off, her 5-year-old son Ernesto became unconscious, the mother explained.

"Through the whole ride I couldn't wake him up," she said, explaining the harrowing incident in a post on Facebook.

She said she "screamed for help" as soon as the rollercoaster stopped and staff members at Disney World sprung into action to shock him with an automated external defibrillator.

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Ernesto's parents said he survived the horrifying order thanks to the quick thinking and actions of his mother, staff members and off-duty medics and paramedics.

They said Christine carried her son off the ride and laid him on the floor, where staff rushed to their aid. The mother then began CPR. A defibrillator was then used to restart his heart.

Christine's husband, meanwhile, also called Ernesto, found a nearby couple who were off-duty emergency medical workers.

They helped the five-year-old, at which point he began suffering seizures while paramedics rushed to the scene to take him to the local hospital.

The medics arrived and continued CPR efforts while he was transferred to hospital via helicopter, the father explained.

Ernesto was then given "test after test" by doctors to determine the route of the medical troubles. It was later found that he suffers from a genetic heart condition - catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, known as CTVT. The condition happened to flare up during the Disney World Trip, doctors found.

The parents shared pictures of the horrifying ordeal to social media where young Ernest was seen in hospital with medical tubes attached to his mouth and wider body.

Following emergency surgery at another hospital, Ernesto made a recovery. He was pictured in better spirits but still in hospital following successful surgery.

Ernesto's father said he was now "doing well with no signs of brain or heart damage".

He added: "Even better this warrior is already home and already asking to ride his motorcycle."

His mother Christine added: "My son lived because when his (now we know) genetic heart disease presented itself we were at Disney where there is an AED everywhere.

"My son is alive because we were at Disney with trained staff. My son is alive because of this couple. My son is alive because I was a trained in CPR (parents PLEASE PLEASE get trained if you aren’t)."

Thanking those who helped, the father concluded: "Not all heroes wear capes."