A six-year-old B.C. boy has died after spending more than an hour and a half in the icy waters near North Vancouver's popular Lynn Valley Suspension Bridge.
The child was in cardiac arrest and showing signs of hypothermia when he was rescued from the water Sunday afternoon.
He was hiking with his stepmother when he fell into the fast-moving Lynn Creek near the ranger station in Lynn Headwaters Regional Park, north of the suspension bridge around 1:45 p.m.
He was only wearing beige pants when he was swept downstream towards the suspension bridge.
The RCMP, North Vancouver fire department and B.C. Ambulance all attended the scene, while crews scoured the water's edge for any sign of the boy.
Tim Jones of North Shore Search and Rescue was flying over the area in a helicopter with a rescue team.
"We went low into the creek and on our first pass we spotted the boy," Jones said.
"One of the rescuers in the helicopter with me was in a swift water suit. We lowered him down right into the creek. We jumped out and he grabbed the boy."
The young boy was airlifted to B.C. Children's Hospital in Vancouver, where he was initially listed in serious condition. Police confirm he has since passed away.
About 80 people drown each year in B.C., and the area around Lynn Valley is well known for its popular cliff diving spots and hiking trails.
