A California boy who died suddenly at a waterpark had a rare congenital heart defect that caused his death, officials said.
Titus Mark Wininger, 11, of Escondido, died at Wild Rivers in Irvine on June 22 from anomalous insertion of coronary arteries, Sgt. Matt Parrish, a sheriff’s spokesman told the Orange County Register.
The condition is characterized by a coronary artery that has an abnormality or malformation and is typically related to the artery being in the wrong spot.
It can cause a disruption in normal blood flow to the heart, which can result in chest pain, shortness of breath or, in some cases, death.
The rare condition currently only affects about 1% of the population, and many show no symptoms.
“Titus was with his youth group at the water park when he became unresponsive,” a GoFundMe page set up to help the family reads.
Police were called to the popular waterpark Saturday on reports that a child needed medical aid. Wininger was then brought to the hospital where he later died.
“We are deeply saddened to share that an incident occurred today at Wild Rivers. An 11-year-old boy experienced a non-water, but medical related incident outside one of our pools,” a spokesperson for the waterpark told Fox News.
“Despite the swift response from our team and emergency services, he sadly passed away later at the hospital,” they said. “Our hearts go out to the boy’s family and loved ones during this difficult time. We ask that you keep them in your thoughts and prayers.”
More use of echocardiography in kids has resulted in greater diagnoses of coronary artery anomalies in children and adolescents, according to the American Heart Association.
It was not clear whether Wininger’s family was aware of his condition.
