E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSThe body of a 6-year-old California boy was recovered from a river in Yosemite National Park Thursday, more than a week after his stepbrother was killed when both were swept away in swift current.
Jacob Adams' body was found Thursday, according to officials at Yosemite National Park. Authorities had been searching for Jacob since Aug. 15, when the body of his 10-year-old stepbrother, Andreas Adams, was found in the Merced River.
The Yorba Linda pair had been with family members wading in the cool river waters near popular Vernal Fall when the current pulled them down downstream. Their mother and an older brother were injured and hospitalized when they attempted to save the young boys.
A vigil was held over the weekend at Calvary Chapel East Anaheim in Anaheim Hills, which had organized an annual church retreat to the national park. The Adams had branched off form the group to go to Yosemite Valley on the day of the tragedy.
View NBCLosAngeles.com's story on boys' tragedy
Authorities said the search for Jacob's body had been hampered by fluctuating water levels, treacherous terrain and changing weather conditions.
He was found 50 yards downstream from the Varnel Fall Footbridge, where the family had entered the water. Andreas, who went by Andy, was found 150 yards downstream.
More content from NBCNews.com:
- Ex-Navy SEAL in legal jeopardy for book on bin Laden raid
- Faith in Army's direction falls to all-time low, survey shows
- Embattled tanning industry fights back, taking cues from Big Tobacco
- California school district sued over abstinence-only sex ed
- Video: Owner reunited with ring found 1,000 miles away
- 2 Good Samaritans electrocuted trying to help car crash victim
Leave a Comment:
A tragedy that could have been avoided had the parents heeded the posted signs at Varnel Falls.My condolences to the family and hopefully the parents will be billed for the rescue efforts.
Just A Cleaning Lady~ Here is a good idea. Pray, or contemplate if you prefer, that you never have to walk in the parents shoes. If you did have a chance to walk in them I am sure you would be much less quick to judge based on limited knowledge of the case.
@just a cleaning lady, as a first responder for 17 years, USCG H60 crewman, I am shaking my head at your comments. I have been on many cases where hikers, boating families, fisherman, etc. have been put in horrible situations through no fault of their own, due to ignorance, or just shear freak of nature. I have also been on plenty of cases where people did some really dumb stuff and got into the same bad situation.
I do not look at either case differantly. Sure I may shake my head sometimes, but never do I judge. If these people pay taxes then they are owed these services. If they do something criminal to put them into this situation, they they will probably be billed, but I do not think this is the case. It will be a bad day that people have to worry about paying a bill prior to making an SOS or 911 call
Very sad,...... I have walked across that bridge maybe 30 times since 1971, It is a spot that if your not up to the climb to top of Vernal falls, That bridge is a spot to rest and enyoy the vistas. When the water level is up, Nobody goes near it, when the water is low, the exposed boulders are as large as a bus. It must have been a very warm day to want to go down into those rocks.......very sad.
Swimming or wading upstream of a large falls in not a good idea.
Add upstream or downstream of a low-head dam to that.
Actually, the article didn't describe the location very well, but this accident did not involve Vernal Falls. Unlike the three people who were taken over the falls last year, these two boys were not in the water above they falls, they were swept away in the river current downstream of the falls.
People just aren't as careful as they used to be.
This happens often enough that I am wondering if some netting strung across the river before the falls would be a good idea. Sad, but people don't seem to realize they aren't at a theme park with that level of safety.
Excellent idea! If this could somehow be implemented in a way to not mar the scenic value, but still keep people out, then that would do the trick!
May be an electric fence to keep people out or razor wire like in prisons.
You are thinking of a few months ago at Vernal Falls, This about Two weeks ago Below the bridge.
Read my post #1.3 above.. just fyi
I'm very sorry for this families loss. It's tragic enough without people snarking about people they've never met. They'll live with this until the day they die and that is punishment enough without others judging them.
Very true! Although it's human nature to have an angry, knee-jerk reaction to "who's at fault", the fact remains that most news stories leave out many crucial facts, AND we were not there, so who knows how the events unfolded. They could be excellent parents, and this was just a very tragic, unfortunate mistake. No one is perfect 100% of the time.
My heart goes out to this family. Very sorry for your loss