2-year-old boy drowns in Blacksmith Fork Canyon


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HYRUM, Cache County — A 2-year-old boy drowned near Blacksmith Fork River Sunday morning, according to the Cache County Sheriff’s Office.

Around 11:10 a.m., deputies from the sheriff’s office and Cache County search and rescue teams were dispatched to a campsite area in Blacksmith Fork Canyon for a report of a missing child, said Cache County sheriff’s Lt. Mike Peterson in a media release.

Deputies learned that a family from Box Elder County had been camping approximately 2.5 miles up the Left Hand Fork area when the child went missing after being left unattended for a few moments. The family called 911 after they spent 30 to 45 minutes looking for the child.

At approximately 12:15 p.m., the child was found in the Left Hand Fork waterway that feeds into the Blacksmith Fork River. The boy was a half mile downstream from the campsite where the family was staying and was unresponsive. Hyrum City Fire Department EMTs and Logan City Fire Department paramedics arrived at the scene and confirmed the boy was deceased, officials said.

The Cache County Sheriff’s Office and the State Medical Examiner’s Office are conducting an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the boy’s death.

“Evidence at this point is leading us to believe that the child fell into the water and was swept downstream,” Peterson said.

The boy has not yet been identified, pending the ongoing investigation.

Peterson called the incident a “stark reminder” of the dangers surrounding rivers and streams this time of the year.

“There is still a lot of snowpack in the mountains," Peterson said. “Warmer late spring and early summer temperatures will certainly result in continued swift and high water conditions for several more weeks."

The Cache County Sheriff’s Office encourages everyone to be vigilant around water and to keep a close eye on children at all times.

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