Authorities said that an 8-year old girl and her brother, 4, were both swept away in a Californian river on Sunday. The river was closed for recreational use due to the high water level.
According to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, the siblings were at the Kings River with their mother and a friend. The sheriff’s department said that all of the victims entered the water about a mile from the Pine Flat Dam.
The sheriff’s department said that the group was trying to make its way to a rock they wanted to climb when the current took the children away. “Neither was wearing a life jacket.”
According to the statement, the children were washed downstream just before 2 pm. Rescue boats were used by deputies and firefighters from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The sheriff’s department said that the body of an 8-year old girl was discovered less than one hour after the search began, while the search for a 4-year-old child is still ongoing. The names of the children have not been revealed.
The status of their mother’s friend and the children was not immediately known.
According to the statement, Kings River is closed to recreational users as of March 14. After heavy snow melt and winter storms, the river in central California was closed to recreational users. The high water levels made it unsafe. Multiple closure signs have been placed along the waterways to warn the public not to enter the water. Failure to do so will result in a fine of at least $225.
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office warns swimmers to be aware that river conditions will worsen during the summer.
The conditions of our rivers will become even more dangerous as the snow melts, and as dams release more water. “The water is still cold in the mid-50s. The current is fast and the trees are dangerous obstacles,” said the sheriff’s department.
Officials are monitoring the river’s levels on a daily bases and have said that it will be reopened once dangerous conditions subside.
