California 2-year-old boy, his 4-year-old sister die after being swept by river

2 children dead after being swept by river

A 2-year-old boy and his 4-year-old sister are dead after being swept away by a river in San Bernardino County.

SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, Calif. - Two children tragically lost their lives after being swept away in a creek, officials in San Bernardino County said.

On Tuesday, May 7, a woman and her 4-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son were playing at the Thurman Flats Picnic Area. Firefighters were told a mom was tending to her 2-year-old son when her 4-year-old daughter was taken downstream.

Investigators say they were playing near the water at Mill Creek…with rapid water rushing downstream.

While searching for her daughter, her son was swept away by the raging water. The mom had hiked up to the picnic area and asked a nearby family to help her find the kids, San Bernardino County sheriff's officials said.

The daughter had been missing since 3 p.m. that day and it took until 4:39 p.m. for emergency responders to find her. Her 2-year-old brother was found about 25 minutes later as both siblings were found near the river's edge, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said in a press release.

The two kids, identified as Sophie and Deejay Humann, were taken to the hospital unconscious and unresponsive. They were pronounced dead at the hospital.

Weather experts say to never underestimate the power of water. Just six inches can knock adults off their feet. Two feet of rushing water can carry away an SUV. Drownings kill 4,000 adults and children in the US each year and is the leading cause of death among young children.

Anyone with information on the deaths of the two children is asked to call 909-918-2305.