The Split-Second Timing That Saved A 5-Year-Old CT Boy From Drowning

NEW CANAAN, CT — Imagine that a 5-year-old child has fallen into a pool and has been submerged underwater for a minute. No, make that two minutes maybe three. Actually, no longer... how about four minutes.

Nearly two weeks ago, that happened to Adam Khattak, of New Canaan, at the Splash Zone at Chelsea Piers in Stamford. And not only did he survive, it looks like he'll be in school this fall with his classmates.

His recovery has been called miraculous by many, but for the quick-acting staffs of Stamford Hospital and Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital, this is why they do what they do. (To sign up for free, local breaking news alerts from more than 100 Connecticut Patch communities click here.)

"These types of cases really hit home for many of us," John Giuliano, associate professor of Pediatrics at the Section of Critical Care Medicine at Yale-New Haven, told Patch. "I have two young children about the same age."

A lot can go wrong in the body when a person is underwater for a prolonged amount of time. The lack of oxygen can cause seizures and the brain to swell, and the liver, kidneys and heart to begin to shut down, according to Giuliano.

In Adam's case, CPR was performed by Chelsea Piers staff as soon as he was pulled from the water, which got him breathing. Stamford EMS personnel arrived quickly and got his pulse stabilized to the point that they could transport him to Stamford Hospital.

Adam experienced seizures at the hospital, which required medications to stop before he could be helicoptered from Stamford to Yale-New Haven, which takes 14 minutes.

According to Dr. Heather Machen, director of pediatric emergency medicine at Stamford Hospital, such scenarios are well-rehearsed by the two institutions.

"We've worked very closely with Yale-New Haven with simulations of drownings," Machen told Patch, adding that drowning is the most common cause of death among young children. "We prepare for these things in advance.

Adam's vital signs were monitored with CAT scans, EKGs and MRIs, and Giuliano said that Adam not only had luck on his side that he was not underwater longer, but also his age helped.

"With younger children, their organs tend to be healthier than adults, and they usually have more oxygen already in their lungs which helps them once oxygen is not available," he said.

Machen agreed. "Typically, young children do better under these circumstances than we do," she told Patch.

While he was placed on a ventilator for a period of time, Adam suffered only minimal swelling of the brain after about 12 hours, according to Giuliano, which was a great sign.

"Three to four minutes is on the shorter amount of time that a child could be submerged underwater, so he was very fortunate," said Giuliano.

Both Giuliano and Machen have spoken to Adam and report that he's doing "phenomenally well," and he could make a complete recovery. Since the ordeal, the New Canaan community has come together to show their support by writing "Cards for Adam," an effort spearheaded by Khattak family friend Allyson Mahoney and her son, Gavin, reports the New Canaan News.

"If anything good can come of this, it's that prevention and supervision are key," said Machen. "The water can be so much fun, but it can also become very dangerous, very quickly."

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