Passersby find 5-year-old girl swept away by California river, officials say
A 5-year-old girl died after being carried down a California river, according to a sheriff’s office.
The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office said it got a 911 call about a missing child, who had been “swept down the river” in Covelo, at around 8:25 p.m. on Saturday, July 1, according to a news release.
After passersby found the girl, they tried “life saving measures,” the sheriff’s office said.
Deputies said medical personnel also tried to save the girl after she was taken to an ambulance. Despite those efforts, the child died.
The sheriff’s office said it is investigating the drowning in Covelo, which is about 200 miles northwest of Sacramento.
The National Weather Service warned of “DEADLY” cold river temperatures in a June 27 tweet.
“Think twice before you jump into local rivers without a life jacket. It may be the last decision you ever make,” NWS Sacramento said on Twitter.
Sara Kennedy, the boating education and outreach coordinator for California State Park, told SFGATE that typically the state will see gradual snow melt in the spring. However, this year, with the hottest days upcoming, “we may see a massive snowmelt event during the 4th of July weekend.”
“Portions of rivers that may have been good, calm swimming holes in past years, may no longer look the same and may now be a dangerous place to swim, in a very remote area with no resources close by to rescue a swimmer in distress,” Kennedy told the outlet.
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