Boy, 13, swept away by current and drowns in Merced River, sheriff’s office says
A 13-year-old boy drowned in the Merced River on Saturday night at the Cressey Bridge area.
Merced County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the drowning at about 7:10 p.m.
Witnesses told deputies the boy was swimming with family when he began to struggle and was swept away by the current.
He was seen going under the water and did not surface, according to Alexandra Garcia, the Merced County Sheriff’s Office public information officer.
The sheriff’s Dive Rescue and Recovery team responded, and the sheriff’s office helicopter searched the area. A remotely operated vehicle was used to search the river and the boy’s body was discovered at a depth of 18 feet.
The boy was pronounced dead at the scene. His body was transported to the coroner’s office for examination.
The incident remains under investigation, Garcia said. The Sheriff’s Office did not identify the boy due to his age.
The incident came a year after a man died in the same area under similar conditions, the sheriff’s office said.
It also comes just days after the sheriff’s office helicopter rescued four people in the Merced River near Snelling park after their raft had become stuck.
This story was originally published July 13, 2026 at 8:49 AM.
