Cleveland firefighters rescued a 16-year-old girl and a 10-year-old boy from Mill Creek Falls on Saturday afternoon.
Originally, News 5 was told by authorities that the boy was 11 years old.
Around 2 p.m., firefighters received a call for a water rescue on the 8300 block of Webb Terrace in the Mill Creek Falls area.
Crews rescued the juveniles from the bottom of a steep embankment. Officials said the children hopped a fence and crossed the river well below the falls, but slipped on mossy rock when they tried to get up into a gap in the falls, sweeping them into deeper water.
Authorities said the water was extremely cold.
The 16-year-old was holding onto a log near the shore to stay away from the current, according to officials.
Standing at 48 feet tall, Mill Creek Falls in the Garfield Park Reservation is the tallest waterfall in Cuyahoga County.
Firefighters arrived before the dive team and one firefighter jumped in the water with his uniform to rescue the 10-year-old boy, who was in about seven feet of water. Officials said most of the water in that area is five feet or less.
Once the 10-year-old was rescued, firefighters performed CPR to try and revive the boy. Both were taken to MetroHealth Medical Center where they were treated.
Authorities said despite initial improvements on the scene and at the hospital, the 10-year-old boy died from his injuries.
Authorities have released the name of the 10-year-old boy, but we are not reporting it.
Fire spokesman Mike Norman said they get a few water rescues every year, but not generally in the area where these children were found, because it's difficult to access, well patrolled by Metroparks rangers, and it's open and visible and not very deep.
