UPDATE | The child in the Boulder County water rescue died at the hospital after the boy was pulled from the South St. Vrain Creek Tuesday. It was later announced that a toddler died after being pulled from an irrigation ditch near Fort Collins in Larimer County in a separate incident.
BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. — Search and rescue teams in two Front Range counties were mobilized after separate water‑related incidents left two small boys dead Tuesday.
In Boulder County, a missing 4-year-old boy was found in the South St. Vrain Creek after an extensive search operation. The child was transported to the hospital in critical condition and later died.
Crews responded to the area southwest of Lyons around 5:30 p.m. after the report came in, according to the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office.
The family was camping in the area, according to Vinnie Montez, a spokesperson for the sheriff's office. He said the boy was found around two miles from the original campsite.
"Essentially, the situation was that there was a family camping above the 30-mile marker of South Saint Vrain. The initial call we got was to South Saint Vrain and Old Saint Vrain above that area, but that message, it sounds like, had to be relayed in some form or fashion," Montez said.
Family members had to flag down a passing driver to reach cell service and call 911, the sheriff’s office said, delaying the reporting of the emergency because the remote camping area has no reception.
Montez said there were initially reports of two missing children in the water. However, the second child was able to get out of the creek safely.
"We later learned that it was actually just one child. Two kids had been playing in the water, but one was swept away," Montez said.
It's unclear whether either child was wearing flotation gear or a life jacket.
Teams searched along the creek and used drones during the Boulder County operation.
"Search efforts started by simply putting people's eyes on the different parts of the river and walking up and down the South St. Vrain, as well as getting into the water, and also checking by drone," Montez said.
The incident remains under investigation. The Boulder County Coroner’s Office will do its own investigation to identify the child, as well as his cause and manner of death.
Around the same time, a separate rescue unfolded in Larimer County after a toddler fell into a fast-moving irrigation ditch at 3121 N. County Road 19 near Fort Collins.
The boy was pulled from the water by a neighbor downstream and began CPR before he was taken to a hospital, where he did not survive.
Authorities have not provided additional details in the Larimer County case, including the circumstances or cause.
Although the current flow of the South St. Vrain Creek is considered safe, officials warn that spring runoff can be dangerously powerful and urge people to use extreme caution around fast‑moving rivers and streams.
They also issued a reminder that as temperatures rise and more people head to the water, it’s important to wear a properly fitted Coast Guard-approved life jacket and stay alert to changing weather conditions.
Multiple road closures around the two incidents were in place. The identities of the two small boys were not released.
Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what's right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.