Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
PROVO — A 13-year-old boy was being treated at Primary Children's Hospital after being pulled from the Provo River about 3 p.m. Saturday. The boy had been floating on the river on an air mattress at Riverside Park, 1260 W. 600 North when he apparently fell into the water. He was with another juvenile at the time, police said.
The boy was found about three-quarters of a mile downriver at a bridge at 325 N. Geneva Road, where he was retrieved from the water by three Provo police officers and a Provo firefighter. Police estimate the boy was in the river about 10 minutes.
By the time I got to the child, it (the water) was over my head and I'm 6 feet tall. It was definitely moving. I wasn't able to get any footing.
–Troy Morgan
Officer Troy Morgan, who took part in the rescue, said the river was swift, cold and deep. "By the time I got to the child, it (the water) was over my head and I'm 6 feet tall. It was definitely moving. I wasn't able to get any footing," he said. The water was moving an estimated 10-15 mph, he said.
CPR was administered immediately after the boy was pulled from the water. He was transported by ambulance to Utah Valley Regional Hospital but later flown by medical helicopter to Primary Children's Hospital. At the time of transport, the boy was breathing but was unconscious, according to police.
Two Provo police officers were injured during the rescue, said Sgt. Don Weidinger. One was being treated in the emergency department of Utah Valley Regional Medical Center after wrenching his back while helping to retrieve the boy. Another officer was treated at the hospital after inhaling water, Morgan said.
Morgan said the Provo River is "extremely dangerous right now even for the greatest of swimmers. I would recommend that parents advise their children to stay away from the river. Even for adults, it is very dangerous.”
Email:mcortez@ksl.com
