June 10, 2011

High waters in Utah’s rivers and creeks have claimed the lives of four children in the last two weeks with the most recent being an 8-year-old boy who drowned in the American Fork River on Tuesday night.

The Salt Lake Tribune said the Utah County Sheriff’s Office received a call around 8 p.m.saying the boy had fallen into the water. Authorities then launched a search, and the body was recovered about two miles downstream from where the boy fell in.

The water is extremely fast and cold in the area right now due to recent snow melt.

Dr. Douglas Goldsmith, executive director of the Children’s Center and an expert in child behavior, says the best way to keep your children safe around water is to establish boundaries and supervision.

Goldsmith says a great example of setting boundaries can  be done with landmarks by “Putting some sort of blockade and saying, ‘You must not go past this or this is going to be the consequence,’ and maybe the consequence is ‘if you go anywhere near this rope, or ribbon, or these chairs, I’m going to take you home.’”

The loss of a loved one due to drowning can be difficult to deal with. That is why you need a Utah wrongful death attorney working for you. The lawyers with Robert Debry & Associates fight for victim’s rights and can answer many questions you may have.