OGDEN, Utah -- A young boy is in critical condition at the McKay-Dee Hospital after Ogden Fire Department pulled his unconscious body out of the Ogden River on Tuesday evening.
Officials received a call for a possibly lost child in the Ogden River East of Harrison Blvd. around 4 p.m.
Investigators say it was at Big Dee Sports Park where investigators believe the child fell in, but crews say the boy traveled nearly a dozen blocks down the river before they found him.
The boy’s mother found his socks and shoes but couldn't find him, officials said, that's when she called the police.
“Around 4 o'clock this afternoon we received a 911 where a child has been reported missing,” said Fire Chief Mike Mathieu, Ogden Fire Department. “We scatter firefighter units down river from where they believe he went in.”
Several fire units were dispatched to the area and searched for the child. One witness believed they saw the child in the water near Ogden Rodeo Stadium, officials said.
Dozens of police and firefighters lined the river searching for him and those at the park also started to look.
“We went up and down the bushes looking for him in the river,” said Caila Hines who helped look for the boy, praying he would be found.
She said it was traumatizing watching the boys mother.
“To have to watch a mom break down and fall to her knees crying because she couldn't find her son was heartbreaking,” Hines said.
34 minutes later someone spotted the boy but it wasn't rescue crews.
“A little girl witness came along and stated she believed she saw the boy go over the small fall that's just directly east of us here,” Mathieu said.
Giving crews an idea where he might be then minutes later they found the boy trapped under this log.
“With help and assistance of the little girl's father they pulled the boy out of the river and began resuscitation efforts,” Mathieu said. “The fact we found him and got him out of the river was hopefully giving him a lifesaving chance."
