13-year-old Brazilian swimmer Caio Ottoni died after having what appeared to be seizures and a heart attack during swim practice Wednesday evening at the Tijuca Tennis Club. Ottoni reportedly told his coach that he wasn’t feeling well, then suffered a seizure with the heart attack shortly after.
Police are investigating whether the death was truly to due to sudden natural causes, or could have been avoided with more prompt care.
Club representatives spoke at a hearing today, and family members will speak in the coming days.The investigation will look into whether or not there was adequate equipment (oxygen, defibrillator, etc.) nearby, as well as proper lifeguarding practices in place.Brazilian site globo.com contacted the club, which said that Ottoni was attended to immediately, noting that an on-site doctor diagnosed him with a heart attack.
Simply horrible! Although this was a case where a heart issue was diagnosed, we are seeing it more and more where heart issues aren’t diagnosed until after something bad happens.