(Image source: Damian Mulinix/The Chinook Observer)

BY JIM FLINK

ANCHOR MEGAN MURPHY

You're watching multisource US video news analysis from Newsy. 

Pulled under by a rip current.

For all practical purposes -- dead for 20 minutes.

A 12-year-old boy is alive -- and talking to his parents -- after being rescued off the Pacific coast.

NBC’s Today show -- has details of Dale Ostrander’s rescue.

“With members of Dale’s church group bent in prayer, rescuers criss-crossed the ocean, desperately searching for the boy for 20 long minutes. They found him, underwater and unconscious, his lifeless body rushed to the hospital where his pulse finally returned.”

On My Northwest.com, KIRO-FM’s Chris Sullivan picks up the account from there, noting the odds were slim Dale would live -- let alone talk.

“He was dead when he was pulled from the ocean. He had no heart beat or vital signs, but rescuers never gave up on him. They performed CPR, and by the time Ostrander reached the hospital... he had a faint pulse. He was flown to Portland where doctors told his parents Chad and Kirsten Ostrander not to expect too much.”

KOMO4 News notes, doctors believed Dale Ostrander would -- at best -- survive but be severely mentally impaired.  But his parents -- devout Christians -- were inspired by their faith.

(reporter) “Dale’s parents were prepared to say goodbye to their only son.”

(reporter) “But with no warning, he opened his eyes on Sunday.  Then did something even more surprising.

(mom) “We were trying to get him to cough.  And -- C’mon Dale you need to cough.  And he coughed once. C’mon you need to do it again. ‘I don’t need to.’ is what he said. He spoke, oh my goodness a full sentence.”

On his blog, the photographer who captured the images of the search -- the rescue -- the prayer vigil.  The Chinook Observer’s Damian Mulinix says, if ever a story could be called a miracle -- this is it.

“This is by far the most amazing story I have ever been a part of. I'm still awestruck as I write this, but I am so very happy to be able to tell it.   Going to these kinds of breaking news situations is always tough, as you never know how they're going to turn out. I was heartbroken for almost a day after this. And to be able to share this kind of news now is just so heart warming to me.  Amazing.”

NBC reports, Dale Ostrander still has weeks -- if not months -- of rehabilitation and treatment ahead of him, but for now, doctors say he is making a remarkable recovery.

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Transcript by Newsy.