Briton with epilepsy dies ten days after pool incident

A 34-year-old Briton with epilepsy died in hospital Monday morning ten days after suffering a seizure in a near-drowning incident at a hotel in Paphos.

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Officials say a British tourist, who was vacationing in Cyprus with his family, nearly drowned on August 9 when he suffered an epileptic seizure while swimming in the hotel pool.

He was taken to Paphos General Hospital where he remained in the Intensive Care Unit until he passed away early morning on Monday.

It was not clear what might have triggered the epilepsy attack but the mother of the 34-year-old reportedly told police officers her son had a long history of epileptic seizures.

Doctors said the man had excess accumulation of fluid in the brain, which ultimately caused his death following a heart attack.

Epilepsy is a brain disorder with a number of possible causes, including genetics, illness, injury and abnormal development. Triggers for seizures can vary from lack of sleep to alcohol consumption and stress, among others. Most people with epilepsy lead full, active lives but have to take a number of precautions, including medication.