A schoolboy who had been in a three-week coma woke up after his mother brought his favourite Lynx deodorant into intensive care.
Kacper Krauze, 13, got into difficulty while paddling with friends in the River Eden, Cumbria, in February of this year.
Unable to swim, he ended up completely submerged in the freezing water for 25 minutes, according to witnesses.
His lifeless body was eventually pulled from the river by emergency services, when medics from the Great North Air Ambulance worked to restart his heart.
He was brought back to life on the way to hospital, but was fighting for his life in a coma after being starved of oxygen because of his ordeal.
It wasn't until his mother, Wioletta Krauze, brought the deodorant he used every day into the intensive care unit that Kacper woke up.
Schoolboy Kacper Krauze who had been in a three-week coma came round after smelling his favourite Lynx
Kacper, 13, had got into trouble while paddling with friends in the River Eden, Cumbria, in February of this year. He was in a coma for three weeks (pictured in hospital)
Wioletta Krauze, 43, said it was a 'miracle' he woke up. Pictured with Kacper after the incident
Mrs Krauze, 43, of Appleby, Cumbria, said: 'It was a miracle.
'We had tried everything to wake him up. A nurse had suggested I bring in some of his toiletries to wash him with.
'As soon as I spayed the Lynx he opened his eyes immediately. He must have remembered that was his favourite smell.
'He has always absolutely loved Lynx and he still wears it to this day.
'We had tried so hard to get him to wake up from his coma. We had played music, we had spent hours talking to him.'
Kacper, of Appleby, Cumbria, is believed to have gotten into difficulty because the water was so cold. He cannot swim. Pictured before
Kacper's lifeless body was eventually pulled from the river by emergency services, when medics from the Great North Air Ambulance worked to restart his heart. Pictured, Kacper meeting the team that helped rescue him
Research suggests stimulating the main senses – touch, hearing, vision and smell – could potentially help a person recover from a coma.
It is recommended by the NHS that visitors talk to the person like normal, hold their hand, play their favourite music through headphones, put flowers in their room or spray their favourite perfume - such as Lynx.
A coma usually only lasts a few weeks, during which time the person may start to gradually wake up and gain consciousness.
Scientists have previously shown that hearing the voices of loved ones helps coma victims wake up more quickly.
Just hearing the family reminisce memories, share family jokes, stories and voice nicknames helped to awaken the unconscious brain and speed recovery.
In a study, scientists at Northwestern University in the US played recordings made by family
