A 4-year-old girl and her 2-year-old brother have died in a tributary of the Santa Ana River in San Bernardino, California.
The children’s mother had taken them to play on Tuesday in the Thurman Flats picnic area in Mentone, California. At around 3 p.m. local time, as the mother tended to her son, her daughter was swept downstream in Mill Creek, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said.
The unidentified mother then left to look for her daughter. Unsuccessful, she returned only to find her son missing. She looked further and solicited the help of another family, but they could not find either child.
First responders arrived and found the girl, followed by the location of the boy. Both were found near the edge of the river, law enforcement said.
Despite efforts to save their lives, both children were pronounced dead at the hospital. The sheriff’s department did not specify the cause of death.
The sheriff’s department is still investigating the incident and asks anyone with information to call (909) 918-2305.