Family Is Warning of the Dangers of ‘Shallow Water Blackout’ After 8-Year-Old Boy Nearly Drowns While Holding His Breath Swimming

Eight-year-old Dylan Smith is recovering after a terrifying near-drowning in his family’s backyard pool in South Florida.

In June, Dylan was swimming at home when he suffered what’s known as a shallow water blackout, or Underwater Hypoxic Blackout. The condition “occurs when a swimmer loses consciousness due to lack of oxygen—usually from holding their breath too long,” according to a site dedicated to raising awareness of the often-fatal event.

Dylan’s doctor, Dr. Asumthia S. Jeyapalan, told CBS News that in these situations, oxygen levels in the blood drop so low that a swimmer can quickly become unconscious and drown. She explained that everyone has a different tolerance, and some people “may not have the energy to go up and rise.”

At the time of the accident, Dylan was trying to swim the length of the pool underwater while holding his breath, his mother, Tiffany Graver-Smith, told CBS News. He had been attempting it several times when, she said, “it got really eerie and quiet.”

“My house is never that quiet,” Tiffany recalled. “It made me look up and I saw Dylan in the corner of the pool.”

His father, Brandon Smith, then noticed Dylan floating “lifeless,” with water coming from his mouth and nose. “I just instantly jumped in the pool and grabbed Dylan from Tiffany. I said a quick prayer, and I laid him on the edge of the shallow end of the pool and just started CPR,” Brandon told CBS News.

While Brandon performed CPR, the couple’s daughter ran to get their neighbor, physician assistant Lissette Medina, for help.

Medina told her alma mater, Florida International University, that she took over CPR and continued for seven and a half minutes until rescue crews arrived. “Something came over me that told me to stop thinking and just do,” she said. She then assisted first responders with suction and intubation.

Dylan was rushed to Holtz Children’s Hospital in Miami, where doctors warned his parents that he might not survive. Tiffany recalled Dylan’s doctor, Dr. Kathryn Swaby, telling her, “You may not go home with your son.”

“I remember being really mad at her for saying that because I was like, ‘Don’t give up on my son yet,’ ” Tiffany said.

Dr. Swaby later said that Dylan’s recovery exceeded expectations. “The fact that he was able to wake up and to respond to instructions and to remember things with his dad, like remembering the handshake that he and his dad used to do, was just incredible on its own,” she said.

Dylan’s case is extraordinary; Dr. Swaby noted that most children who suffer submersion injuries do not survive. Medina echoed that sentiment, telling FIU, “This was a really rare case—typically, they don’t make it.”

Globally, there are approximately 140,000 drowning deaths each year, and an estimated 20% of those (about 28,000) are linked to shallow water blackout, according to Swimming Canada National.

Following the incident, Dylan underwent extensive treatment and evaluation, including therapeutic hypothermia and an MRI, which came back clear. Therapeutic hypothermia involves lowering the body’s temperature to help preserve brain function and potentially slow damage after a brain injury, according to Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

Dylan spent two months in the hospital relearning how to walk, talk and breathe properly. Dr. Swaby said watching him “continue to grow and improve and get back to a near normal state is really such a miracle.”

Physical therapist Kyle Zreibe told CBS News that Dylan showed “a lot of hard work and determination,” adding, “Dylan is truly one of a kind.”

The children’s hospital includes a pool as part of its rehabilitation facilities, and staff said Dylan was eager to get back into the water.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family with unexpected medical expenses. The page describes Dylan as a “remarkable” child and “a karate master in the making, [who] moves with the agility of a superhero and embraces life with the heart of an angel.” It also says he “finds joy in nature and all the adventures it offers, and his charisma, gentle spirit, and infectious smile have a way of lighting up every room.”

“Dylan brings laughter, wonder, and unforgettable joy to everyone around him,” the page reads.