According to Lt. Sean Endsley of the Weber County Sheriff’s Office, a group of boys was shooting airsoft guns Saturday afternoon when two of them jumped into the river; however, only one of the boys resurfaced. After 911 received a call about a possible drowning at approximately 5:30 p.m., sheriff’s office deputies, Weber County Search and Rescue (with a drone team) and Weber Fire District responded to the area of 2300 West and 12th Street.

Following a roughly 90-minute search, the boy was located and pulled from the water, after which life-saving measures were performed. He was airlifted to Primary Children’s Hospital where he later died, Endsley confirmed. The boy’s identity has not been released.

In the wake of the incident, Endsley offered condolences to the victim’s family and advised residents to exercise caution in and around area waterbodies.

“When around any body of water, exercise due care and caution,” Endsley told the Standard-Examiner. “If you’re going to be going into the water, wear a life jacket. Don’t go into moving or swift water unless you’re prepared and have the right type of equipment. And, ideally, don’t be doing those things alone.”

He also advised parents to keep watch over young children and be mindful of cold water temperatures, even as warmer weather sets in.

“The water is cold — and especially this time of year, it’s even colder,” Endsley said. “People don’t quite realize the type of shock that will bring on to your body when you’re not prepared for it or not in the right equipment. So, people just need to be really cautious if they are going in that they can properly act and respond. If you’re not a good swimmer, don’t be in the water.”