Little Cottonwood Creek. File photo courtesy of ksl.com.
MURRAY, Utah — There were some tense moments Thursday night as a little boy was rescued from Little Cottonwood Creek during a swift-water rescue.
Murray Fire Assistant Chief Chad Pascua says a bystander, later identified as Harlan Wheeler, jumped into the water, retrieved the boy, then was able to get himself safely out of the water, and is OK.
“He jumped in, fully immersed himself in the river, and got the boy to shore where the police officer was able to take him,” Pascua said.
Pascua tells KSL News Radio that around 6:45 p.m. they got a call to 296 East Murray Park Ave. about a 4-to-5-year-old boy who had slipped out of his mother’s sight for only a second and fell into the water and got swept down, possibly an eighth to one-quarter of a mile. Wheeler jumped in, rescued the boy and handed him off to the police, then floated about another 50 feet to safety. Paramedics confirmed Wheeler was not hurt and had no symptoms of hypothermia.
The boy was taken to Intermountain Medical Center, which is directly across the street from the park, where he was listed in serious condition, according to Pascua. He said the boy was in a trauma bay being evaluated for aspiration of water and hypothermia.
Murray Fire rescuers advise people to use extra caution around creeks, especially this time of the year following heavy spring rains.