SANGER, Calif. (AP) — Rescue workers who recovered the body of an 8-year-old girl on Sunday are searching for her 4-year-old brother after both boys were swept away by a California River that caused flooding. storm, officials reported.
Fresno County Police said police and fire crews responded to the Kings River in downtown Sanger, about a mile from Pine Flat Dam, at about 2 a.m. Sunday.
Less than an hour later, rescuers using boats and a helicopter found the girl dead. No details of his death have been released at this time.
Police said on Sunday night that the boy has not been found and a search is on for him.
The minors were not wearing life jackets when they were trying to climb a cliff with their mother and another adult.
The police department reported that the Kings and San Joaquin Rivers have been closed to recreational activities since March 14 because severe winter storms and melting snow have created high water levels and dangerous conditions.
“Numerous signs of closure of waterways have been posted to inform the public about the importance of staying out of the water,” the department said.
Warm weather is melting vast amounts of snow that have accumulated on the mountains following a series of severe winter storms.
“As we approach summer and as snow melts and dams release more water into rivers, conditions in our waterways will become more dangerous,” police warned.
