MORGAN COUNTY - A 15-year-old boy was rescued from a tiny island in the South Platte River near Rainbow Bridge in Fort Morgan.
Just after 6 p.m. Tuesday, Morgan County Communication received a 911 call about the boy who was stuck on a small piece of ground about the size of a desktop.
According to the sheriff's office, he was attempting to swim to one of the islands but the current was too strong and he became stranded.
Morgan County Undersheriff Dave Martin has had swift water rescue training. He swam out to the boy and gave him a personal flotation device. He could not provide further help due to the very cold water, air temperature and rainfall.
The Fort Morgan Fire Department and Morgan County Ambulance Service also responded. Other rescuers threw a rope bag to Martin and the boy. Using support from a swiftwater rescue board, they pulled the pair to another island, where they could be walked to Rainbow Bridge. From there, a ladder was used to get them onto the bridge.
The boy was taken to the hospital and treated for possible hypothermia. A family member, who did not want to be identified, says he's been released from the hospital.
"We're just thankful he's alive," the family member told 9NEWS. "We're thankful for the sheriff's department, and the fire department and other emergency workers that were there."
The Morgan County Sheriff's Office says the river is running higher and faster than normal. They're discouraging anyone from swimming or tubing on the river.
Family members of the teen say they hope he's learned his lesson, and that others will also learn from his mistake and stay out of the water.
(KUSA-TV © 2015 Multimedia Holdings Corporation)
