2 Mentone children die after being swept away in creek in San Bernardino Mountains

→ Оригинал (без защиты от корпорастов) | Изображения из статьи: [1] [2]

Two Mentone children died on Tuesday, May 7, after entering fast-moving water in a creek in the San Bernardino Mountains and getting swept downstream, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said.

A mother and her children, Sophie Humann, a 4-year-old girl, and Deejay Humann, a 2-year-old boy, were playing near Mill Creek by the Thurman Flats Picnic Area on Highway 38 in the San Bernardino Mountains, sheriff's and San Bernardino County Fire officials said.

The mother was attending to her son when the daughter was taken down the stream, a sheriff's statement said.

Two children died Tuesday after entering fast-moving water in a creek in the San Bernardino Mountains. Fire and law enforcement authorities searched for the victims, located them and took them to hospitals where they were pronounced dead. (Photo by RMG News)

After she could not find her daughter, the mother returned to find her son was also missing and presumed to be also downstream, according to officials.

"After frantically searching, she hiked up to the picnic area and contacted another family to help search for the children but (they) were unsuccessful in locating them," said the sheriff's statement, adding that fire and law enforcement officials were then contacted for help.

First responders received a call roughly an hour after the children first entered the water, which would be consistent with a "lack of cell service in the area," San Bernardino County Fire spokesperson Eric Sherwin said.

A San Bernardino County Fire swift-water rescue team found the girl at around 4:40 p.m. and the boy at around 5:05 p.m.

Both parents were present during the rescue, Sherwin said.

The children were transported to local hospitals, and after life-saving measures, they were pronounced dead, the sheriff's statement said.

The investigation is ongoing, officials said.

Mill Creek is a major tributary of the Santa Ana River. Its waters plunge down a rocky bed from the towering peaks of the San Bernardino range, where ski resorts reported as much as 199 inches of snowfall this past season.

California authorities regularly warn that the state's rivers and streams can become very dangerous when spring snowmelt fills them with fast-flowing, very cold water.

Cold shock can quickly stun the strongest of swimmers and boulders, branches and other debris can lurk invisibly beneath the surface, according to the California Office of Emergency Services.

"Swift water can be deadly, especially as the weather warms up following heavy winter snowfall in the mountains and higher-than-average flows in rivers and streams," said Amy Palmer, spokesperson for the California Office of Emergency Services, said in an email. "It's critical Californians understand and appreciate the dangers it can pose and take precautions wherever possible."

Local public safety agencies also make pleas for people to be careful near waters.

In the southern Sierra Nevada, the Kern County Sheriff's Office is blunt, updating a sign on the road to the notorious Kern River with the death toll since 1968. Last May, the sign was updated from 317 to 325, reflecting eight deaths between 2022 and 2023.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.