16-year-old Utah boy dies after jumping into Jordan River with friends

LEHI, Utah — A teenager from Alpine, Utah died late Saturday night after he jumped off a bridge with a group of friends into the Jordan River, officials said.

Cole Merrill, 16, died after he backflipped into the river with two other friends about 10 p.m. Saturday, Lehi Police Sgt. Thayne Call said. The trio jumped eight to 10 feet into the water from a bridge known as the Old Iron Bridge in Lehi, Call said.

Cole jumped in the middle of the group, Call said. After the jump, he came back up to the surface on his back, but then flipped over on his stomach, went back under and did not come back up, Call added.

A search and rescue team was called out and began searching the area about 11 p.m., Call said. A Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter also helped in the search.

Since the river is pumped north to Salt Lake County, there is an undercurrent, and authorities were not sure if the body had been swept in that direction, Call said.

After three to four hours of searching, officials found Cole’s body on the bottom of the river about 20 feet from where he jumped, Call said. Police did not release additional details Sunday about what could have happened to Cole.

The bridge, at 3150 W. 1500 North in Lehi, is a popular summer gathering place for kids, but “no trespassing” signs are posted there, according to Call. Police are frequently asking kids to stay off the bridge, he said.

This article was first published at KSL.com. It is used here with permission.