ST. GEORGE — Officials have identified the 15-year-old boy who drowned in the Virgin River Saturday.
Uri Gois died Saturday afternoon after going into the water near a waterfall, St. George police detective Johnny Heppler said in a news release.
Just before 1 p.m., Gois' friend called 911 reporting that he and Gois were swimming in the Virgin River above the waterfall when the pair swam too close to the edge and were both swept over the falls — about an 8- to 10-foot drop into the river.
One of the boys was able to make it to shore after attempting to find his friend, who apparently disappeared. Emergency crews searched for Gois, but it was an area resident that located him and flagged an officer down.
The teenager was discovered in the river approximately one-quarter to a one-half mile downstream from the waterfall.
Crews performed CPR, but were unable to revive the teen. He was pronounced dead at Dixie Regional Medical Center around 2 p.m.
St. George police detectives determined the incident was an accidental drowning.
This marks the sixth drowning in Utah's rivers or creeks this year.
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