Toddler dies after fall into river, Utah cops say. ‘A grief so profound’

A toddler who wandered away from his family at a nearby ropes course died after falling into the Provo River, Utah police told news outlets.

James Chambers, 20 months, was found in the water Saturday, April 29, and rushed to a hospital, where he died Monday, May 1, Provo police told KSTU.

“This is the most heartbreak, grief, and devastation we have ever felt,” father Tom Chambers wrote on Facebook. “It is crushing. I never knew there could be a grief so profound.”

Chambers wrote that he and his wife, Tasha, made the “impossible decision” to take James off life support after doctors informed them he could not recover.

The Chambers family visited Provo from their home in Pocatello, Idaho, for a wedding, cousin Amber Jones told KSL.

Police told KTVX that spring runoff or swift currents were not factors in the drowning.

“James had a sweet and shy smile,” a GoFundMe established to help support the family reads. “He is dearly loved by many but especially his older brothers. He is such a light in their family.”

“He had so much zest and energy for life,” Tom Chambers wrote on Facebook. “He had more love to offer than his little body could handle.”

The Provo Police Department did not immediately return a request for comment by McClatchy News.

Provo is a city of nearly 115,000 people about 45 miles south of Salt Lake City.

This story was originally published May 2, 2023 at 12:22 PM with the headline "Toddler dies after fall into river, Utah cops say. ‘A grief so profound’."