West Fairlee — The 12-year-old boy who endured a “near-drowning incident” last week at a public beach on Lake Fairlee has died.

Dylan O’Hearn, the son of the former caretakers of Treasure Island, suffered a “cardiac event” while swimming last Tuesday, according to an email issued to families and staff of Tunbridge Central School, where O’Hearn’s father, Scott, works as a counselor.

The boy had an underlying heart condition called Long QT Syndrome which, according to the Mayo Clinic website, can cause fast or erratic heartbeats. The heart rhythms can result in sudden fainting, seizures or even death.

Tunbridge Central School Principal Scott Farnsworth on Monday issued the email to the school community to loop them into the news of the accident.

“Dylan was a gentle and compassionate person whose presence made the world a better place,” Farnsworth wrote. “Our hearts go out to Mr. O’Hearn, his wife, Ann, and his two daughters.”

On Friday, the family — through Thetford town officials — issued a statement that their son was in the intensive care unit and would not survive the “near-drowning incident,” which happened on the public beach in West Fairlee that is owned by the town of Thetford.

The family chose to stay in the hospital until Dylan could donate his organs, according to town officials.

The O’Hearns were the former caretakers at Treasure Island, Thetford Selectboard Chairman Stuart Rogers said by phone on Tuesday. They were the caretakers for 14 years.

In April, the O’Hearns stepped down from their care-taking role after the town asked them to, Rogers said. Because in the state’s eyes they acted as tenants of the building, the town would have had to do necessary upgrades in order for them to stay there. Those improvements, which included bringing the building up to certain codes, weren’t in the budget, Rogers said.

The O’Hearns moved into a nearby home on Robinson Road, Farnsworth wrote.

Lifeguards are at the beach from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Rogers said, and a sign at the property says the beach is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Dylan was at Treasure Island with family shortly after 9 p.m. on July 26 when the accident happened.

“It was hot; they were swimming,” Rogers said.

Dylan was a soon-to-be seventh-grader at Rivendell Academy. Ann O’Hearn is a counselor for the Rivendell Interstate School District.

Jordan Cuddemi can be reached at jcuddemi@vnews.com or 603-727-3248.