Give your kids an extra hug

We started our camping trip off a little rough. We were at Nunn's Park in Provo Canyon. There is a river at one edge of the campground which is running really high and really fast with campsites all along the river. With our little girls we chose to go on the other side of the road right along the bike path that goes through the canyon. Shortly after our tent was up and we were getting ready for lunch we heard some screaming in the river, sirens, and then a sheriff's vehicle went flying through the small campground. We heard more and more sirens and found out that a little girl had fallen into the river a little upstream from us and they were trying to find her. There was an amazing amount of police and search and rescue action literally on both sides of our small campsite. We quickly determined that our girls needed to stay on the picnic bench to keep them out of the way and we sent Daddy off to help look for the little girl. I can't describe what it is like to sit holding your little girl and surrounded by your other daughters while looking at the river knowing that someone's little girl is in there. By the time Daddy got there they thought they had found her so he got out of the way. I sat there amazed at the number of police and rescue vehicles that continued to go by, at the helicopter flying amazingly low and slow over the river, and all the people out there wanting to help...all for one little girl. Life is amazing and it was so wonderful to see SO many people out there doing their best. And grateful for people who spend hours training and preparing for theses tragic situations to go in and save the one. Eventually we learned that the little girl was 8 years old and was found and pulled out alive, although we learned she had been in the river about 1/2 hour, had gone down the river about 1 mile and was found face down trapped in debris. A few other family members were treated for hypothermia trying to save her. A previously trained rescue civilian happened to be near the area and found her and with the help of search and rescue they were able to get her out and lifeflight her to Primary Chidlren's Hospital, however she passed away a day or so later. I later learned her parents weren't even there and that they were trying to get to her as soon as possible...I'm grateful she lived for awhile, hopefully long enough for them to get there. How horrible and tragic. You can bet we watched our girls extra careful and I have to admit it was difficult walking around Bridal Veil falls and seeing where she most likely fell in...it could have happened SO easily. SO easily. She was eight...the same age as my oldest who I tend to try to trust a little more and maybe not watch quite as carefully my 2 year old. But they're still kids and the edge by the river is steep and the pathway narrow and sometimes crowded...all she had to do was stand there and get bumped a little or bend over a little too far and she was gone. Life is precious and fragile. I certainly looked at my little ones a little differently after this experience. Give yours an extra hug and say a little prayer for the family of this little girl.