'He was special': 11-year-old boy collapses at Visalia Adventure Park

VISALIA, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - A Visalia household is grieving aft they accidental their lad tragically passed aft a travel to Adventure Park Saturday evening. 

11-year-old Richard Weinert-Soto collapsed astatine the apical of a h2o descent astatine astir 5 p.m., according to his parent Maria Velasco. 

“This small miss comes and she tells me, ‘I deliberation your small lad is laying up there’… and truthful I ran up determination and helium was bluish and purple,” Velasco said. 

She says Adventure Park employees performed CPR until medics arrived, taking him to Kaweah Health. 

Visalia Adventure Park would similar to admit the aesculapian exigency that took spot astatine Sequoia Springs connected Saturday afternoon. A kid suffered from a cardiac exigency portion waiting successful enactment for the waterslides. Our staff, who is CPR certified, was speedy to respond and did each they could until aesculapian professionals arrived. We are asking for your prayers for the household and for each progressive successful this occurrence. Please cognize that the parkland was and continues to beryllium a harmless situation for the full household and that this exigency was not related to the facilities astatine the park. Furthermore, we are grateful to the archetypal responders and the citizens of our assemblage for their continued prayers and enactment of the family, the unit involved, and the park. Our God is merciful and abounding successful love. Thank you.

Visalia Adventure Park

Doctors attempted life-saving measures for respective hours until pronouncing Richard dormant astatine 9:26 p.m.

“He was amazing. He was special. Everyone who knew him knew that,” Richard’s begetter Christopher Weinert said. 

Richard’s parents reflected connected his generous heart, telling stories of times helium bought toys for different children astatine Weinert’s workplace oregon spent his societal information wealth to bargain nutrient for his siblings.

Velasco says helium loved to sing astatine religion and archer radical astir God. 

“If you saw the mode helium sang, it’s similar helium sang with his heart,” Velasco said. 

Courtesy of Maria Velasco

Courtesy of Maria Velasco

Courtesy of Maria Velasco

They accidental helium was known for his infectious joy, his emotion for Jesus and his endless strength. 

What galore could not spot connected the surface, however, were his aesculapian battles. He was calved with a bosom information and chronic lung failure. 

“He was precise beardown and helium was a combatant because, you know, adjacent though helium was similar intubated and had each kinds of tubes connected him, helium would inactive beryllium like, ‘I’m good mommy,’” Velasco said. 

Richard’s decease drew contiguous societal media attention, with hundreds promising to commune for the family. 

“I consciousness truthful blessed. I truly do,” Velasco said. 

She says she’s overwhelmed by the community’s support, but is asking for fiscal assistance arsenic good to wage for Richard’s funeral. 

They inquire anyone consenting to assistance to donate done their GoFundMe page. 

Richard’s household hopes each clip idiosyncratic prays for them oregon gives to the GoFundMe, they volition intermission to bespeak connected who Richard was truthful they tin transportation connected his legacy. 

“I spot successful the Lord. I spot successful God. He’s gonna beryllium my refuge and that’s what I clasp onto due to the fact that I cognize that’s what Richard would person wanted and that’s what helium would person done too,” Velasco said.