Ice water drowning survival of young patient (2025)
Points and comments are a snapshot, not live.
An 8-year-old boy survived 147 minutes underwater in ice water, rescued by ECMO.
An 8-year-old boy submerged in ice water (5.8 °C) for an estimated 147–177 minutes was successfully resuscitated using extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) after 1.5 hours of CPR. His core temperature was 19 °C on arrival. After rewarming and 59 days of hospitalization, he was discharged to neurorehabilitation. At 6-month follow-up, he could stand, ride a tricycle, eat soft foods, and follow simple commands, with ongoing neuromuscular weakness. The case underscores that in water below 6 °C, survival is unlikely for submersions over 30 minutes, though rapid cooling may extend the window.
What commenters are saying
Comments emphasize the medical adage, "They’re not dead until they’re warm and dead." Several note that survival was partial: the child had significant lingering deficits. Skeptics question the exact submersion duration, noting the timeline has uncertainties. Comparisons are drawn to Wim Hof, whose similar childhood story is met with skepticism due to his domestic violence conviction. A commenter details the revival process: ECMO, slow rewarming, and medications gradually restored heart rhythm from asystole to sinus rhythm. Another points out that cryopreservation success is limited by body size and uneven thawing.