Stella Berndtsson's 13°C Drowning Survival

In December 2010, 7-year-old Stella Berndtsson left her home in Sweden to follow a hand-drawn treasure map, wandered along the shoreline, and slipped from a cliff into icy ocean water, where she drowned. A rescue helicopter finally spotted her about 3.5 hours later and flew her to a hospital with a core body temperature of just 13°C (55.4°F) and no signs of circulation.

Doctors treated her as a profound hypothermia case, slowly warming her body for hours until her heart started beating again and her organs began to recover. Stella went on to make a remarkable long-term recovery.

Previous Fact Next Fact