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OGDEN — Crews pulled a boy from the Ogden River Tuesday and rushed him to the hospital in "extremely critical condition," authorities said.
The child is believed to be 10 years old, and crews estimate the current carried him 10 city blocks from where he entered the water after leaving his shoes and socks on the riverbank.
Firefighters were combing the river when one fireman spotted the child wrapped around a log in the water near 1500 East and carried him out about 4:45 p.m., Ogden Fire Chief Mike Mathieu said Tuesday.
Paramedics arrived shortly after and tried to resuscitate the boy before taking him to McKay-Dee Hospital in an ambulance.
"We're extremely pleased we found him as quick as we did," Mathieu said. "We just don't know if we found him quick enough."
A call reporting the lost child came in to police at 4 p.m. and a witness told crews there appeared to be a child in the water near Ogden Pioneer Stadium.
Heavy spring rains and runoff have made the water more dangerous than normal, Mathieu said.
"Right now there's so much water flowing. It's so cold," Mathieu said. "In a matter of seconds, a person could be swept away.
Mathieu urges families to keep an eye on youngsters playing near the water. Children get caught up in the current more frequently when temperatures start to warm and families venture outside to enjoy the sunshine, Mathieu said.
Officials are investigating how the boy ended up in the river.
