2-year-old boy drowns in Spanish Fork canal

SPANISH FORK, Utah — A 2-year-old boy has been found dead in a Spanish Fork irrigation canal.

According to a press release, the Spanish Fork Police Department got the initial call at 8:42 a.m. Friday that Emmett Burrell was missing.

He was at the football field at American Leadership Academy located at 898 W. 1100 South with his father.

Lt. Cory Slaymaker with the Spanish Fork Police Department said, “The child was here with his father at football camp and had been playing and at some point and wandered off.”

Once the father realized that his son was missing they searched for about 45 minutes to an hour before calling law enforcement, Slaymaker said.

Police said Emmett was last seen on camera leaving the football field, to the west, on Mill Road.

Police then arrived and posted on social media for the community to help look for 2-year-old Emmett Burrell.

Volunteers, football players, and police searched for another 90 minutes.

Around 10:15 the boy was found submerged in a nearby irrigation canal.

“We believe the child wandered about two blocks from here to where the canal is open, possibly fell into the canal. We don’t know for sure how that happened,” Slaymaker said.

Life-saving measures were administered, but Emmett was pronounced dead on the scene.

“We believe this is sincerely a tragic accident,” Slaymaker added. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to not only the family but the American Leadership community, the staff, the football players that were here, as well, assisting, and the community as a whole.”

Coaches at the American Leadership Academy are raising money to pay for expenses. You can send the money to GoFundMe* or via Venmo* @AmericanLeadership-Academy.

*KSL TV does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.