LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST, Calif- Sometime after noon Wednesday a family camping at the Live Oak Day Use Campground along the Santa Ynez River noticed that one of their kids was missing.
News Release From Santa Barbara Fire Department
– At 12:56 pm, the Santa Barbara County Fire Dept. (SBC FD) responded to a report of an unaccounted child/possible drowning on Paradise Road near the Live Oak Day Use area, near the 2nd crossing of the Santa Ynez River on Paradise Road.
SBC FD responded with Medic Engine 13 along with Copter 308 and Paramedics from Engine 32, along with Battalion Chief 514. SBC FD was assisted by two engines from the Los Padres National Forest, the SB Sheriff's Dept, AMR, and CalStar 7 air ambulance. The Sheriff's Dive team, Copter 2, and Search and Rescue were also called to the scene, but were later canceled.
The crews from Los Padres were the first to arrive on scene and reported that an 8 yr old male had been missing for approx 20 minutes. The water was described to be approximately15-20' deep with almost zero visibility.
Civilians as well as 10 swimmers from the Los Padres crews searched the swimming area near the point of entry and located the boy. The child was removed from the water at 1:35 pm and rescue efforts were made to revive him. The child was pronounced dead at the scene. The cause of the incident is under investigation.
