Meet the kid who was medically dead for 25 minutes but has somehow recovered to live to tell the tale. Sort of...
Cade Ewington, 11, was found unconscious and face down in a swimming pool by teachers who quickly dragged him out.
The little lad had suffered a cardiac arrest and paramedics were able to scramble to Active Luton's Lewsey Pool within five minutes and perform life-saving CPR.
Initially unable to restart his heart, Cade didn't take a breath for 25 minutes - meaning he was medically dead the entire time.
He was rushed to Luton and Dunstable hospital after his heart restarted before being taken to Great Ormond Street Hospital where doctors sedated him for two days to protect his brain which had been swollen from the trauma.
Incredibly, Cade has suffered no brain damage from the incident. The only thing is, he can't actually remember the ordeal.
His father, Mark, 46, genuinely believed it was the end when he saw his son unresponsive for so long.
"Up until that day Cade had absolutely nothing wrong with him, he was just swimming and was one of the most athletic kids you could come across," he said.
"There were a dozen medical staff and police over him, they looked at us and you could tell no one wanted to give us the news.
"He was out cold on the bed and we didn't know if he was alive or dead - you never want to see your son like that."
Later diagnosed with a rare condition that caused the cardiac arrest, Cade was given a cardioverter defibrillator which will restart his heart by delivering an electric shock if it ever stops beating.
Cade's heart problem is known as Long QT where there are problems with the electrical activity of the heart.
Cade said: "It's been an amazing journey and a special thank you to the lifeguard for saving my life and to the wonderful doctors and nurses for looking after me so well.
"I hate why it happened but love the ICD as it will keep me safe forever."
Since the ordeal, Cade has met the lifeguards, swimming teachers and paramedics who all clubbed together to save his life just over a month ago.
This little lad is truly a walking talking miracle!
Words by George Pavlou
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All images credited to SWNS
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