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PROVO — The family of a 12-year-old boy who drowned in the Provo River Saturday says life will never be the same without him.
Finnley Udall was pulled from the Provo River after falling in near Bridal Veil Falls and being carried downstream for about 30 minutes. He died at the hospital Saturday afternoon, according to the Utah County Sheriff's Office.
The boy pulled out of Provo River this afternoon passed away. He was 12 years old, visiting Utah with family. He fell in the water near Bridal Veil Falls & was pulled out 4 miles downstream in Orem. @UCSO_SAR@provofire@FireAuthority@affirerescue@PG_FireDept@OremFire SSFire
— Utah County Sheriff (@UCSO) June 9, 2024
At 1:45 p.m., search and rescue crews responded to a call that a child had fallen into the river. The boy was spotted from several locations along the river, according to Utah County Sheriff's Sgt. Garrett Dutson. An Orem swift-water rescue firefighter jumped in just south of 800 North and University Avenue in Orem and was able to grab the child.
The boy was taken by ambulance to the hospital, and one search and rescue team member was also taken to the hospital with rope burns. Dutson asked the public to please be careful and keep an eye on children, especially with the warmer weather and people wanting to be closer to the water.
Finnley's parents described him as "sweet, tender, tenacious, crazy, handsome and caring," in a post on social media Monday.
His mother Lyndsay Udall said a few minutes after arriving for the family hike at Bridal Veil Falls, Finnley had an "unwitnessed fall" into the Provo River.
"Once I heard someone say a child was in the water, I immediately knew it was him. I started running and yelling that my baby had fallen into to river in attempt to get help. So many people responded, called 911, prayed, and helped to try to locate him. I saw people running until they couldn't anymore, I know people risked their (lives) trying to help. The water levels were so high and fast and it was just impossible to get to him," she said.
Udall thanked everyone who helped assist her family during this tragedy and said many strangers became "personal angels" by offering help and support.
"Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Finnley took up a lot of space wherever he went. And that space will be hard to live with because it will never be filled," the post said. "He died how he lived his life, just skating on the edge of danger and loving every minute of it."
