California paddleboarder, 14, dies after suffering cardiac arrest then falling into Minnesota lake for four minutes during family vacation: Coroner reveals he had undiagnosed heart condition
- Stanley Wilson was on holiday with his family last week when he collapsed while paddling and could not be revived
- His father called the Minnesota lake where he died “his son’s favorite place in the whole world”
- The 14-year-old from Encinitas, Calif., is remembered for his leadership and humor
A California teenager died during an annual family vacation in Minnesota after collapsing while paddleboarding.
Stanley Wilson, 14, of Encinitas, Calif., was with his family in Cross Lake when he suffered a suspected cardiac arrest and fell in water for three to four minutes.
“We reached him after 3-4 minutes underwater and pulled him up to give him a desperate CPR, but he didn’t look good.
“They tried so hard – and I will love them forever – but with tears in your eyes you could tell it wasn’t right,” Eric Wilson, Stanley’s father, wrote on Facebook.
“But for 15 agonizing minutes they tried and tried – everything they could – but finally it was done and he died right there in my arms.”
Stanley Wilson, 14, died last week while on a family vacation in Minnesota
Stanley’s dad Eric Wilson shared an old photo of his son at Lake Minnesota
Wilson called the lake where his son died Stanley’s “favorite place in the whole world”, adding that the coroner had told the family that the teenager had an “undiagnosed hereditary heart condition”.
“He probably had a cardiac arrest type event while he was on that paddle board and most likely felt no pain or terror.
Stanley and his family were vacationing at Pine Terrace Resort when the sudden death occurred on August 9.
Stanley was a former captain of his football team. In an article, the Cardiff Soccer League said he “embodied what it was to be a good teammate and a good leader”.
A GoFundMe established to offset the financial burden on his family of funeral planning reads as follows:
“During his fourteen years, he touched many lives with his sense of adventure, his kindness, his determination to be good at what he loved, and his love for his friends and family.”
On Wednesday evening, hundreds of people gathered on Moonlight Beach in Encinitas to honor and commemorate the life of Stanley
Stanley was a former captain of his football team. In an article, the Cardiff Soccer League said he “embodied what it was to be a good teammate and leader”.
On Wednesday evening, hundreds of people gathered on Moonlight Beach in Encinitas to honor and commemorate Stanley’s life.
“He just knew this lake, and he loves fishing more than anything. If he could go anywhere in the world, it would have been this place,” Eric Wilson said.
The memorial focused on how the young man had lived his life and how he made others feel.
A friend said: “Once you got to know him he was really outgoing and a fun kid, he always made you laugh, he had a really infectious smile.”
After various members of the large group shared memories, they walked to shore with candles, threw lanterns with messages on them into the sky, and threw flowers into the ocean.
