A boy died in Whatcom Falls Park Friday afternoon after he was declared missing by family members who were in the park for a function, Bellingham Deputy Police Chief Don Almer said.
Bellingham Fire and Police responded to reports of a missing swimmer in Whatcom Falls Park around 2:35 p.m. Friday. In around six minutes, they had located the boy, whose name and age have not been disclosed, in water near the Bellingham Hatchery on Silver Beach Road.
He was rushed to PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center, but resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful.
Almer said the boy, who was under the age of 16, had been playing in a pool of water created by a small waterfall off a rock wall. The area is located near a trail that leads from the Silver Beach Road roundabout to Whatcom Creek, he said.
There was a massive and immediate response from Bellingham Fire Department, Police Department and Whatcom County Swift Water Rescue, and unmanned aircraft systems and K-9 units were deployed.
“All the first responders and affected folks offer our condolences to the family. It’s unimaginable grief and loss,” Almer told Cascadia Daily News.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
