The two boys who were pulled unconscious from the Arachthos river earlier this week are now confirmed to be brain-dead, according to hospital officials at the Rio University Hospital ICU.
Both had been receiving intensive care following the accident, but tests conducted under established protocols confirmed irreversible brain damage. According to hospital sources, the parents of the 14-year-old boy have consented to donate his organs to five children in need of transplants.
The 12- and 14-year-old boys had been swimming with friends in the river near Arta when the water level rose suddenly due to a release from the Pournari dam. The 12-year-old was reportedly swept away by the current, and the older boy entered the water to save him, but both became trapped underwater for approximately twenty minutes.
Neither of the two boys were strong swimmers.
Despite the swift response of emergency teams, including the fire brigade, EMAK, and local residents with boats, the boys were retrieved from the river unconscious. Resuscitation was attempted on-site before they were rushed first to Arta Hospital and then transferred, intubated, to the ICU in Rio.
Doctors fought to stabilise the boys, applying aggressive treatment protocols. CT scans showed brain swelling and fluid aspiration in the lungs. Each child was assigned a dedicated team of intensive care doctors and nurses.
The tragedy has shaken the local community, who had hoped the boys would recover. Medical staff and families are now navigating the grief of an outcome they had fought to avoid.
Also read: Boys rescued from Arachthos River remain critical
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