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Florida boy, 5, goes into cardiac arrest on Disney ride, dad narrates ordeal in shocking post: ‘He wasn’t breathing…’
About 20 seconds into riding Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Ernesto Tagle stopped breathing.
A Florida couple’s five-year-old son tragically went into cardiac arrest while on a ride at Walt Disney World. About 20 seconds into riding Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, which is an enclosed roller coaster in Epcot, Ernesto Tagle stopped breathing and began seizing during the September 21 incident.
“I was screaming, hitting him, and saying something’s wrong,” Ernesto’s mother, Christine Tagle, told Fox 35.
The Tagle family are Disney passholders, and boarded one of their “favorite” rides when tragedy struck. Once the ride ended, Christine performed CPR on her son, and was helped by a passing couple, a nurse and EMT. A Disney employee provided an automated external defibrillator to restart Ernesto’s heart, following which he was taken to the hospital via helicopter.
What happened to Ernesto Tagle?
Ernesto had to be rushed to three different hospitals, where he underwent “test after test.” He was eventually diagnosed with catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT), Ernesto’s father wrote in an INstagram post. This rare heart condition can flare up during extreme excitement or activity.
“This past week has been a rollercoaster for our family. Rollercoaster being the key word,” the child’s father, also named Ernesto Tagle, wrote alongside photos of his son on Instagram. He wrote about the incident, narrating how the boy “wasn’t breathing and started going into seizures,” and added that it was “determined it was CPVT and he would need surgery and an EV-ICD placed.”
“I’m happy to say that Ernesto is doing well after surgery with no signs of brain or heart damage. Even better this warrior is already home and already asking to ride his motorcycle,” the dad wrote.
“We love you so much Ernesto, brother, ET3. You are our miracle child. So many more details but I’m getting teary eyed just writing this post,” he added.
The family said they were grateful to the people who helped save their son’s life.“We just feel so lucky this didn’t rob us of his smile and energy,” Christine told Fox 35.
