Nine-year-old Calgary boy fighting for recovery after near-drowning in B.C. river

A nine-year-old Calgary boy remains in a medically induced coma at BC Children's Hospital in Vancouver after nearly drowning in the Shuswap River on Aug. 3, with his family now fundraising to cover living and medical expenses while he fights for recovery.

Paul-Angelo Warren was swimming at W.J. Tuey Regional Park in Enderby when family members briefly lost sight of him. Police were called around 2:45 p.m. after he failed to surface. A bystander located the submerged child, who was pinned against fallen deadwood by the river's currents, and brought him to shore.

Bystanders who happened to be at the beach, including a doctor and nurses, began CPR until an ambulance arrived. The exact duration underwater is unknown but may have been as long as five to 10 minutes, according to Vernon North Okanagan RCMP.

The child is now at BC Children's Hospital with his family. Recent updates from a GoFundMe launched to support the Warren family indicate encouraging progress: his lungs are getting stronger each day, and he is squeezing his parents' hands when asked. The goal is to eventually wean him off his ventilator.

Meanwhile, the financial toll on the family is severe. Paul-Angelo's mother has stopped working as a home care aide and residential cleaner to remain at his bedside. His father has been out of work for several months without employment benefits. The family is sleeping wherever they can — his mother and brother at the hospital, his father in his truck nearby. Ahead lie costs for travel, accommodations, meals, lost income, and eventual medical transport back to Calgary.

As of the time of reporting, the GoFundMe had raised over $30,000 of its goal. The funds will support the Warren family as they focus on Paul-Angelo's recovery away from home.