Monday, June 20, 2011

creek near where I live

Family Outing Ends In Tragedy

June 18, 2011

A mother and daughter from Green Forest drowned late Friday afternoon in Yokum Creek, in northern Carroll County. A toddler boy was rescued and survived.

According to Carroll County Sheriff Bob Grudek, Leydy Yolanda Marin-Lopez, 30, and her daughter, 8 year old Veronica G. Lopez, both drowned after the child slipped off a ledge into deep water, and the mother tried to get to her and fell out of a raft and drowned. The incident occurred at an area called Devil's Backbone.

Sheriff Grudek went on to say another child, 3 year old Joshua Lopez, jumped in the water instinctively when he saw his mother go under, and himself sank to the bottom. He had been underwater, Grudek said, for about 40 minutes when someone performed CPR on the child after his body was pulled out. The child threw up alot of water and started breathing. He was air-lifted to St. John's in Springfield, where Sheriff Grudek said "miraculously" he was released on Saturday after appearing to have recovered fully.

Sadly, other members of the family witnessed the whole tragedy. Leydy Marin-Lopez's mother and sister were with the group and were helpless to assist.

Sheriff Grudek said none of the family knew how to swim and had no life jackets with them. The water in spots was at least 10 feet deep, Sheriff Grudek said.

3 comments:

Margie's Musings said...

What a tragedy. I don't know how to swim either but I can dog paddle and I can float. Fear is the worst enemy of drowning people.

GenniGarcia said...

Leydi Carolina Mas-Martin was the one who pull out her brother and gave him CPR and she was the 2nd oldest daughter of Leydi Yolanda Marin-Lopez

GenniGarcia said...

and i aslo knew the mother and daughter and im still friends with her other two daughter