The 17-month-old boy who nearly drowned in a Kiwanis Park lake on Saturday was awake and alert this morning, officials said.

The exact condition of Salvador Duenas is still unknown. He is "not out of the woods" yet, said Sgt. Mike Horn of the Tempe Police Department.

Officials were notified of Salvador's near drowning after his mother discovered his shoes sticking out of the park lake water while attending a birthday party. Salvador was underwater for an estimated three to five minutes in a 2 feet of water. advertisement

CPR was performed on Salvador before paramedics could arrive. He continued to go in and out of consciousness while being transported to the Maricopa Medical Center in Phoenix.

Reproduced with permission from: The Arizona Republic By Amanda Chan ©Copyright 2007 Arizona Republic