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If you follow autism news and haven’t been under a rock this week, you probably saw this truly amazing story about a father and 12 year old son with autism who survived 14 hours treading water.

It’s mind blowing how fast this seemed to happen.  Reports say they were swimming at “night”, but it’s not clear if it was dark.

Walter Marino, 46, and his son Chris Marino, who has autism, were swimming in the Ponce Inlet, south of Daytona Beach, Florida, on Saturday when currents pulled the 12-year-old boy out to sea.

His father jumped in to try to save Chris but was also pulled out to sea.

Family members called 911, but by the time rescue units arrived, the father and son could no longer be seen, officials said. (CNN)

First, let me say that I am in total awe of the dad and son.  Walter Marino is a true Super Hero Dad!  I have tried to picture myself in this situation and I can easily see me DEAD in far less time than Walter and Christopher treaded water.

Most of the stories that I’ve ready about this incident make it seem like a kid with autism could tread water endlessly and be not be upset about it no matter the duration.  I can tell you that my daughter might enjoy it for an hour or so and would then be seriously pissed! “Staying calm” would not be part of the equation after 12 hours.

This story also implies that all kids with autism are natural born swimmers.  Being attracted to water does not equal the ability to swim or the ability to avoid drowning.

“It . . . speaks to the observation that children with autism are very much at peace — very relaxed — in the water,” said Michael Alessandri, a Coral Gables-based clinical professor of psychology and autism expert. “The situation was likely not exacerbated because the child did not panic — did not realize (the) danger he may have been in — and stayed calm.” *

While obviously true in this case and with many other kids with autism, this is far from the universal truth portrayed in the news this week.  We are lucky and my daughter is one of these natural born fishes.  When she was two or three, she sank like a stone.  The next year, we threw her in the deep end and she just started swimming.  (better to see what would happen with is there was the thinking).  We tried swimming lessons and the instructor told us he didn’t see the need and there wasn’t much more he could teach her.  This is a blessing for sure, but not always the case.  It’s also not a reason to let our guard down.  This year, she has started swimming underwater and going to the bottom, which requires even more attention.

Seizures also greatly complicate this issue since a large % of kids with Autism Spectrum Disorder, have or will develop seizures.

Seizure disorders. For persons with seizure disorders, drowning is the most common cause of unintentional injury death, with the bathtub as the site of highest drowning risk. ^*

The mom is this story mentions the following, which is scary for any autism parent to think about …

At times, Christopher has wandered away from home to swim in neighbors’ pools or ponds, his mother said. *

I would hate for any caregiver let their guard down by reading that “children with autism are very much at peace — very relaxed — in the water.”

Drowning is the leading cause of death for children with autism!  Part of this is autism and part of it is typical for kids.

… drowning is one of the leading causes of death for children under 14 years old. For example, in the United States, it is the second leading cause of death (after motor vehicle crashes) in children 14 and younger. (Wikipedia on Drowning)

While this story of incredible perseverance and sea rescue is amazing, this one is unfortunately more common …

BRUNSWICK - Sunday’s drowning of 6-year-old Ashley Brock may have been the result of tragic events all too common among autistic children, according to advocates for families touched by the brain development disorder.

Police called Brock’s death an accident, saying it appears she wandered away from her home at 4 Balsam Ave. while her parents, Michelle and Barry Brock, were having a cookout with friends.

Ashley’s parents told police that their daughter was missing for about five minutes. She was later discovered by guests at the bottom of a neighbor’s pool.

According to Rita Shreffler, executive director of the National Autism Association in Nixa, Mo., the same scenario has played out repeatedly around the country.

“Unfortunately we hear stories like this all too often,” Shreffler said. “Drowning is one of the highest causes of death among children with autism. And a lot of these kids are runners. It’s very scary.”

Shreffler said she had no statistical evidence to support a conclusion that autistic children suffer a higher occurrence of drowning. But she said she hears “the same story at least twice a month.”

“It happens frequently,” Shreffler said, “and it’s absolutely heartbreaking.?

Related:

• National Autism Association: Autism Safety Toolkit
• Learning to Swim’s More than Necessary
• Drowning all too familiar to autism community
• Swimming Lessons for autism
• CDC Factsheet on Drowning (yes, I linked to the CDC)
• Father, son rescued after more than 12 hours in Atlantic
• Experts say autism may have helped boy survive ordeal
• A Miraculous Story: Autism May Have Helped Christopher Survive
• Autism helps boy survive 15 hours lost at sea
• Disney motto helped dad, autistic son survive at sea
• Autistic Boy Survives 12 Hour Ocean Ordeal Despite the Odds
• To Infinity and Beyond
• A wonderful survival story
• A good day for the US Coast Guard – and for some fishermen
• Movie line helps pair survive 15 hours in water
• Father, Autistic Son Used Disney Lines While Stuck At Sea
• Disney Saves the Day
• A Miracle Touches Close To Home
• Drowning as the Number One Cause of Death In Autism
• Swimming In Open Water Safety Tips
• Drowning is Leading Cause of Death Among Children with Autism

Filed under: Safety, Seizures