Toddler drowns in inlet near Provo River

By Cassidy Wixom and Shara Park

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    PROVO, Utah (KSL) — A toddler died Saturday after wandering away from family and being found in a pool of standing water near the Provo River.

Provo police said the incident occurred at CLAS Ropes Course at 3606 W. Center Street, where a family was recreating at the ropes course Saturday morning. The family’s toddler wandered off and was found unresponsive a short time later in a small area of standing water that is part of an inlet near the Provo River, according to a news release from the Provo Police Department.

Medical efforts were administered and the child was rushed to a Provo hospital. A GoFundMe* page that was created for the family said after some lifesaving measures at the Provo hospital, 20-month-old James Chambers was taken by helicopter to Primary Children’s Hospital. He later died from organ and brain trauma.

James’ cousin Amber Jones told KSL-TV the Chambers family was visiting from Pocatello for a wedding Friday night. They stayed with the family that owns the ropes course property.

Jones said a bystander at the property was setting up for a different wedding when they jumped in and started CPR on James.

“He was super active. You would turn around and he’d be on top of the table. He loved wrestling with his brothers and playing outside, he was a daddy’s boy for sure, and so, so loved by his four older brothers and so many family members,” Jones said about James.

Provo police said spring runoff or swift water were not factors in this incident.

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