Two brothers were swept away Sunday by the current of a river in California where there was a swimming ban due to the dangerous water level from melting winter snowfall. The 8-year-old girl was found dead, and rescuers are still searching for her 4-year-old brother, who remains missing.
The Fresno County sheriff and local firefighters received an alert Sunday at 2 p.m. about the missing children on the Kings River near Sanger, about 30 miles east of Fresno. Less than an hour later they found the girl, whose cause of death was not specified, after an intense search with boats and a helicopter.
Sheriff's spokesman Tony Botti told USA Today that about 40 rescuers, including state and Fresno firefighters, resumed the search for the boy Monday morning. "We use boats on the river, a remote-controlled vehicle on the water, drones and helicopter," Botti said, "and water is too dangerous to put anyone in."
Kings River.Fresno County Sheriff's Office / via Facebook
The children, who were not wearing life jackets, entered the water with their mother and another adult trying to make their way to climb a rock. Authorities did not specify what happened to these other people or details about how they were carried away by the current.
"There was a family reunion of some kind and we know when we got the call there was a family there," Brandon Pursell, deputy sheriff's deputy, told the YourCentralValley news website.
"We will keep looking, we are not going to give up, we are hopeful," he said on Sunday, although he acknowledged that the dangerous conditions of the river made the tasks difficult.
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The Kings and San Joaquin rivers have been closed for recreational activities since March 14 because of a dangerous surge following severe winter storms and melting snow. "There are numerous signs posted along waterways informing the public that it is important to stay away from water," the Fresno Sheriff's Department said. Anyone who violates the order faces a minimum fine of $225, it said.
Pursell said the water in Kings River is icy and currently flows at 13,000 cubic feet per second, making it still difficult for an adult to handle. The Sheriff's Office explained that this tragedy should never have happened, and that it was 100% preventable.
"This is exactly why we tell people to stay out of the water," the lieutenant said.
This year the river is different
The increasingly warm climate melts large amounts of snow accumulated in the mountains during winter storms generating large and sudden flows of water. Authorities are asking local communities to avoid waterways.
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"Our waterway conditions will become more dangerous heading into the summer as snow melts and dams release even more water into rivers," the sheriff's office said. "The water stays cold, at less than 50 degrees, the current is fast and the trees become dangerous obstacles," he added.
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Farther north, a body was found Friday in Folsom Lake, northeast of Sacramento. The incident was being investigated by authorities. To the north, the American River swept away two other people in recent weeks, who are still missing, the Placer County Sheriff's Office said.
Multiple agencies and departments have issued advisories to protect residents in these areas. "Last winter's great snowpack is melting in our rivers, and the water is colder (45 degrees), stronger and higher; it will remain so for at least the next month, possibly longer," the Placer County Sheriff's Office said in a statement last week. "Be careful with the river, this year IS different," he said.