EDMONTON – A four-year-old Alberta boy continues to fight for his life, in the Stollery Children’s Hospital, after a tragic collision in B.C. last week that took his mother’s life.
“I can concentrate very well on things and my concentration has been on Ben and Alex. If I lose that concentration and remember that Kunthea lost her life, that’s when I lose it. And Richard is the same and so is the rest of the family,” said Norbert Altvater.
Norbert’s son Richard was driving with his wife, Kunthea, and their three children to their home in Coaldale last Sunday when their minivan left the road and plunged into the Elk River near Fernie. RCMP believe slippery road conditions played a role in the collision.
READ MORE: Alberta mother of three dies after car plunges into river near Fernie
A couple driving by saw the vehicle upside down in the water and rushed to help. The pair pulled all five people out of the van.
“It humbles me to know that they would do that. That a pure stranger would go into that freezing water, and Richard was also in there, pulling children out… with everything that we hear today, it certainly restores your faith in mankind,” Norbert said, holding back tears.
“I hope that I can find out who they are and give them my personal thanks for saving our family,” the children’s uncle Matthew Altvater added. “I would give them a big hug and say ‘thanks. Thanks for saving our family.’ Because without them, the outcome would have been much different.”
READ MORE: Heroic couple faced sub-zero water temps to pull Alberta family from submerged van
Richard, 36, and seven-year-old Rachelle suffered minor injures. Benjamin, 4, was revived at the scene and rushed, along with five-year-old Alexander, to the Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary. Kunthea was killed in the collision.
Due to the extent of Benjamin’s injuries, he was flown to the Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton. Alexander was also transferred to the Stollery to keep the family together.
The Altvaters believe Alexander will be released from hospital this week. Benjamin continues to fight for his life in a medically induced coma.
“While he’s stable, I don’t really fully know what the prognosis is going to be,” Norbert said Sunday. “It’s a 50/50 chance.”
“There’s a chance he’ll come out and there’s a chance he won’t, so we’re definitely very scared for him,” Matthew added.
The entire Altvater family has travelled to Edmonton to be with Richard and his children during this extremely tough time.
“I think about them 24 hours a day,” Matthew said Sunday afternoon. “We’re going to be there for them no matter what. So we’ll be there. Are we ready for it? Not really, right? It’s not something you expect.
“Their kids are young and they grow up now without a mom, it will be a challenge.”
And while they’re focused on the boys who remain in hospital, Matthew says Kunthea was a wonderful, loving person who will be greatly missed by the entire family.
“She’s a fantastic sister. We get along with her wonderfully. She fit into our family just perfectly and she’s the best mom the kids could ask for. She was a fantastic mom,’ he said. “She’s a fantastic lady and we miss her a lot.”
The Altvater family has set up a trust fund for the children. Anyone wishing to help can visit any Royal Bank location. The trust is set up in Norbert Altvater’s name.
With files from Shannon Greer, Global News.
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