Two young boys reportedly died in California while on a family camping trip in Shasta County. Ryker Moore and Johnathan Jorgensen fell into the river near Shasta Dam on February 22 after a hillside collapse. The children received fatal injuries during the fall and were pronounced dead at the scene.
Today, the community is rallying around their families and hoping to raise money to help ease some of the pain from their sudden and tragic losses.
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The accident occurred Thursday morning.
Per a news release from the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office, deputies arrived about 9 a.m. after receiving a call about rocks breaking away from the hillside near Shasta Dam.
“Two juveniles who were caught in the debris, had fallen down the hillside. This area is located downstream from Shasta Dam and at the request of the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office, water releases from Shasta Dam were temporarily reduced by the Bureau of Reclamation to aid in the recovery effort,” the release on Facebook reads.
Emergency responders quickly located the bodies.
Ryker Moore and Johnathan Jorgensen were found in the debris and, sadly, they were pronounced dead at the scene. Their bodies were taken to the Shasta County Coroner’s Office for “post-mortem examinations,” according to police.
“Members of the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Team, Dive Team, Boating Safety Unit and multiple allied agency resources responded to the scene to aid in the recovery of the victims,” the release reads.
One of the victims is the child of a police officer.
The Redding Police Department announced on Facebook that Ryker’s father, Brian Moore, is an officer with the department. It created a fundraiser for the family, bringing in $55,000 thus far, exceeding the $25,000 goal.
"Redding Police Department appreciates all the love and support from this great community. If you would like to help them in this time, the link below takes you to a site where 100% of the donations go directly to the family. Again, our gratitude goes out to this community for your overwhelming support," a post on Facebook reads.
Love is pouring in for both families.
Cara Holden, a friend of the Jorgensen family, created a Meal Train fundraising page for the family that has raised $38,000 of a $25,000 goal thus far.
A message on the site reads, “To our community, please consider contributing to our efforts to support the Jorgensen family in this tragic time. Whether you cook meal(s) or contribute financially, everything helps. Thank you so much. We have designated Northstate CrossFit as the drop-off location for meals.”
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The fatal accident is under investigation.
According to the sheriff’s office, authorities hope to determine the cause of the accident and are appreciative of everyone who helped in the recovery efforts.
“The Shasta County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank our allied agencies that assisted during this incident including Shasta County Fire, CALFIRE, Shasta Lake Fire, Redding Police Department, California Highway Patrol, Bureau of Land Management, and the Bureau of Reclamation. All agencies involved extend their deepest condolences to the families,” the news release on Facebook reads.
