Rescued Boy Comes ‘Back From the Dead’

A boy who was submerged 45 minutes in the icy Red River now seems to recognize his parents and shows no signs of permanent brain damage in what his doctor called “truly life back from the dead.”

Strangers from around the nation have offered gifts and prayers for the recovery of 11-year-old Alvaro Garza Jr. since he was rescued Friday from the frigid river by firefighters in a rowboat.

Alvaro, hooked to a respirator and in critical but stable condition at St. Luke’s Hospitals, had a body temperature of 80 degrees and no heartbeat for up to 10 minutes after arriving in the emergency room. But Dr. William Norberg said Sunday that he believes the boy will recover completely.

Father Is Unemployed

“I’m proud to hear better about my son. I thank everybody for helping him,” said Alvaro Garza Sr., 30, who is unemployed. “He’s feeling better every day. I hope everything goes all right. Thanks to the doctors and God.”

“One can’t help but be very encouraged,” said Norberg, a pediatric critical-care specialist.

“Right now, he shows some signs of abnormalities from a brain-wave test. But he is responding to voices, he focuses his eyes,” the physician said. “He can’t talk, but he moves all his extremities. We have very good hopes he will turn out totally normal. I see no permanent defects.

“He still has an awful long way to go. Only in the next several days or weeks will we be able to know for certain,” Norberg said.

Norberg said the boy’s body functions gradually slowed until they stopped while he was submerged.

Met Death’s Criteria

“By rewarming and controlling the circulation, we were able to revive him. It was truly life back from the dead,” he said. “When he came out of the river, he met the criteria for death. There was no pulse. We thought maybe after 5 to 10 minutes, we heard a heartbeat, maybe.”

Alvaro fell through the river’s ice while playing with friends. He apparently chased a squirrel onto the ice.

Fargo Fire Department paramedics searching in a rowboat rescued the boy. People on the river bank pulled the boat ashore by rope. Just before the boat reached the shore, a firefighter carrying Alvaro jumped out and ran to a waiting ambulance, which sped to the hospital two minutes away.

Hospital spokeswoman Kathy Borge said public support has poured in for the boy and his parents, who live in Moorhead, Minn., across the river from Fargo. Schools and churches have delivered packets of letters and get-well wishes.

“We’ve been getting calls from all over the United States,” she said. “People want to send money, do whatever they can. We’ve also gotten calls from people that are holding prayer vigils.”