A 12-year-old boy is dead after “unknowingly falling” into a river

An Arizona mother is calling on authorities to install safety barriers after her 12-year-old son fell into the “crazy” Utah River and died during a family outing.

Finnley Udall and his family were visiting Bridal Veil Falls on Saturday, June 8, when the tragedy occurred, his mother, Lyndsay Udall, wrote in a Facebook post.

“Within minutes of arriving at the scene, my sweet 12-year-old son fell into the raging river with no witnesses,” wrote Lyndsay Udall. “When I heard someone say there was a baby in the water, I immediately knew it was him. I started running and screaming that my baby had fallen into the river, trying to call for help.”

According to police, after passersby called 911, multiple agencies responded and attempted to rescue the boy from the rushing Provo River. Daily Herald.

“When you have a body like that in the water, when the water is that high, you go through areas that are a little bit shallower so you can see them,” Sgt. Spencer Cannon told the outlet.

“Or it’s just that sometimes the turbulence and confusion in the water causes their bodies to float to the surface,” Cannon added. “But then it can be little eddies that pull them back down so they can float calmly for a distance where you can’t see the body, and that’s what happened.”

Finnley was ultimately pulled from the river four miles downstream after about 30 minutes, CBS affiliate KPHO-TV reported.

The boy was transported to a local hospital, where he died, the Utah County Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post. Authorities believe he may have died from hypothermia caused by the water temperature.

Days after her son’s death, Lyndsay’s mother started a petition to install safety barriers and signage along the river.

“This tragic event could have been prevented with appropriate safety measures in place,” Lyndsay wrote.

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Meanwhile, the Udall family mourns their loss and remembers a “persistent” and “caring” boy.

“Finnley took up a lot of space wherever he went and now that empty space will never be filled,” Lyndsay wrote in her Facebook post. “But he was the most loved boy who ever walked this earth and our lives will never be the same. He died as he lived – simply riding the edge of danger and loving every minute of it.”