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Despite frostbite, teen listed in fair condition

By Stacie N. Galang
Staff Writer
Published: January 3, 2009

MARBLEHEAD — The 16-year-old from Marblehead found outdoors early New Year's Day — as temperatures hovered in the single digits — suffered such intense frostbite he could lose some fingers and toes.

Bennett Barber is expected to remain in pediatric intensive care at Massachusetts General Hospital for about one week before moving to a special burn hospital for treatment of his frostbite, which essentially blistered like burns, according to a hospital-sponsored Web site started by his parents David and Marianne Barber.

"It is basically a wait-and-see approach with all of this, because (the doctors) will not know for a few days how much of the tissue is still living," the Web site said. "He is doing as good as can be expected, remembers what happened, but probably does not fully understand the severity of his injuries."

His family also wrote they have encouraged Ben to visualize his fingers playing his guitar and video games to help with his recovery.

A message left at the Barber home yesterday was not returned.

The teen, a student at Marblehead High School, was listed in fair condition yesterday.

Police Lt. Matthew Freeman, a department spokesman, said yesterday the incident is still under investigation by Sgt. Marion Keating and Patrolman Chris Gallo who were called out to find Barber early Thursday morning.

According to police, Bennett Barber collapsed in the snow on Power Terrace as overnight temperatures dipped to between 3 and 6 degrees and as winds whipped around 30 mph. He had gone just one short block from his starting point, a party at Stone Terrace, and was about a half mile from his Taft Street home.

His parents called police at 2:54 a.m., according to the Marblehead police log, after their son had failed to return home for his curfew.

Officers searched the area for Barber and called firefighters at 5:30 a.m. for assistance with their thermal imaging camera. The teen was found unconscious just before 6 a.m. He was wearing jeans, a coat and sneakers, according to the fire department report.

Police eventually found him on Power Terrace after following a set of footsteps in the snow from Stone Terrace, according to fire officials.

A message left at 9 Stone Terrace, the site of the party, was not returned as of press time.

Freeman expected Keating and Gallo to finish their report some time in the middle of next week.

"They have interviewed some witnesses who were apparently at the house," Freeman said. "People who have been interviewed thus far have been cooperative, but there are more interviews to follow."