3 Year Old Boy survives 2 hour 8-mile river ride on toy truck

[RamboLiberal]

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - A boy celebrating his third birthday was unhurt and apparently unfazed after he floated nearly eight miles down a river riding atop his toy truck, police said.

The boy's family was camping at a popular park near Fort St. John, in northeastern British Columbia, on Sunday when the boy wandered off unnoticed and somehow entered the nearby Peace River, Royal Canadian Mounted Police said Monday.

The boy's parents at first thought he was playing with other relatives at the campsite. But police were later alerted and had begun a search when a boater found the boy, and the toy, about 7.8 miles away.

After a nearly two-hour journey down the swift-moving river, the boy had no injuries and was apparently unaware of the danger he had been in.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31910113/ns/world_news-wonderful_world/

Police were later alerted and had begun a search when a boater found the boy, and the toy, about 12 kilometres away, floating in three metres of water after a nearly two-hour journey.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/665658



Amazing! Lucky kid! And he made sure the boater retrieved his truck. That's a nice looking toy truck.

[Ian David]

1. Why didn't the mayor send in the toy busses? n/t

[Tan Gent]

2. The Marines could save a bundle buying a bunch of those!

:D

[Xipe Totec]

I think you're on to something...

or on something, I can't tell which!

:rofl:

But definitely an idea worth looking into!

:hi:

[Catherine Vincent]

3. The parents didn't know he was missing.

Gotta watch those kids.

[lindisfarne]

12. Unfortunately, many don't. You're by water. You don't assume someone else is watching a child.

I've seen this sort of thing too many times to be surprised.
And if you say anything to the parents/family, they are beligerent.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

4. For a three year old --

that ride would have been better than Disneylad! :D Glad it ended as it did -- that will be a heck of a story he has to tell.

[RamboLiberal]

5. A bit more on the story

-----

And on Sunday morning, Demetrius's fondness for cars got him into some very deep trouble. The boy wandered off from his parents' campsite near Taylor, B.C., with his motorized truck. While no one was looking, Demetrius angled the truck down a steep boat launch into the Peace River and found himself caught in the current, clinging to the toy as he was swept 12 kilometres downstream. Incredibly, when rescuers caught up to Demetrius two hours later, he was unscathed.

He was cold, but still gripping his floating truck.

Don Loewen was on the boat that spotted the boy in the water, about 25 metres from shore. The four-wheeler had been flipped by the current, but the toddler had managed to climb on top of the upturned toy.

"He was kneeling on it on all fours, holding on to the steering axle. He was as still as he could be," said Mr. Loewen, who dived in and swam over to the boy.

-----

"The first thing he said when they were wrapping him up was 'Where's the car at?' " said Mr. Loewen, a 54-year-old contractor from Rose Prairie who happened to be staying at the same campground that weekend.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toy-truck-saves-boy-from-deep-trouble/article1217236/

[Old and In the Way]

6. That kid doesn't know how lucky he is.

I'll bet he had no life preserver on...

[lumberjack_jeff]

15. I always have my kids put on life jackets when they get on their power wheels trucks.

They're hard to fit over the nomex suit and parachute, though. :rofl:

[Arugula Latte]

7. OMG. My heart would have stopped if my son did that.

:wow:

[malaise]

14. I'd be proud of the kid

:D

[Arugula Latte]

18. It was cool how he hung on!

Cute he was concerned about his toy after all that. My son would have said the same thing at that age. He was a truck freak.

[malaise]

19. Very cool

He's either very lucky or very smart.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

8. ingenious - like the floating cubans

Floating Cubans
This page is dedicated to the ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit of the various Cuban refugees who have attempted to sail to the United States on homemade vessels cleverly crafted from old American cars. Unfortunately, often they have been caught before reaching American soil, and returned to Cuba. Here's to you, floating Cubans! Your cleverness and your persistence inspire me. May you all achieve your goal, and finally reach the land of McDonald's, Disney, and Coca-Cola.

The Original Cuban Truck Raft
The original attempt at reaching the United States was done with a converted 1951 Chevy pickup truck on July 16, 2003. The truck's drive shaft was attached directly to a propeller and the craft could reportedly reach a leisurely 7 knots (8 mph). 55-gallon oil drums were used for flotation. The dozen or so Cubans in the truck were caught just south of Key West after being sighted by a U.S. Customs aircraft.


Starboard side of the truck raft. Photograph taken by the U.S. Coast Guard.

...more here
http://www.floatingcubans.com/

[BlooInBloo]

9. What a commercial that would make!

:rofl:

[flyingobject]

10. brilliant

and still wants his truck. LOL

[UndertheOcean]

11. Now , why would anyone unrec such a positive story , it went from +3 to +2

[intheflow]

16. Some folks don't get

what "General" means in the General Discussion forum. If it's not overtly political, they think it belongs in the Lounge.

[malaise]

13. Too cool

He survived because he didn't even know he was in trouble. Lucky kid.

[cali]

17. another stupid parent story. Of course it's amazing that he made this

little journey unscathed, but you have to keep an eagle eye on a 3 year old- particularly someplace like a campground near a fast moving river.

[MrsMatt]

25. I'd say it was another distracted parent story

I have a three year old son, who is VERY active (his nickname is "Danger Boy"). Our daughter was much more cautious and we never had to watch her the way we have to watch him

It only takes a minute for a child to put himself/herself into a life threatening situation.

[cali]

27. I also had a daring son- and because I knew that, I made damned sure

that in any potentially dangerous situation- and that was pretty much anytime we were out of the house- he was always closely supervised. When he was three we went to Europe and I put him on a kiddie leash. At the lake, he always had on a life preserver. It only takes a minute for a child to put himself in a life threatening situation, and that's why you don't take your eyes off a three year old for even 10 seconds when the child is in a situation to endanger him or herself.

[Lars39]

20. Always assign one person to watch a particular child.

It's too easy to assume someone else is watching the children. That said, good grief that kid made good time down that river! :scared:

[Blue Diadem]

21. I'm glad the little guy was found safe.

I hope the parents learned a lesson from this. Don't ever "think" the child is being watched by someone else.

[Bravo Zulu]

22. They should trade in the toy truck for a toy

boat!

[TexasObserver]

23. Recommend

[yowzayowzayowza]

24. Said parents are going to need a change of undies. n/t

[Jennicut]

26. OMG, I have a 4 and 5 year old and my heart would have stopped.

I had a heart stopping moment at my 4 year old's bday this past Sunday...she started choking on some candy someone gave her and I pounded on her back (as instucted per child CPR) and she spat it out. A scary moment. I don't think it was fully lodged in her throat but my hands were shaking afterward. No hard candy for children under 6 is a good precaution.

Glad this little boy was unharmed.