-
May 15, 2008 7:02 am US/Mountain
-
Digg |
Facebook |
E-mail
|
Print
Family Remembers Boy Killed In Flash Flood
DENVER (AP) ―
Relatives and emergency workers gathered Wednesday night to remember a 2-year-old boy who drowned in a flash flood one year ago. The rising water in Lakewood Gulch near 13th Avenue and Decatur killed Matthew Jauregui.
The boy was ripped from his mother's grasp by the fast moving flood waters.
"We're never going to see our baby Matt grow up," said Jesse Contreraz, Jauregui's uncle. "No birthdays, no pushing on the swings, it's rough for everybody."
Contreraz helped search for Jauregui until his feet were so swollen that he had to go to the hospital.
"I didn't want to go home without my nephew," he said.
Wednesday's memorial honored the police officers and firefighters who help search for Jauregui.
"It brings us together, we have a very strong department and things like this just build that strength and camaraderie across the board for everybody they all feel the pain at the same time," said Larry Trujillo, the former Denver fire chief.
Denver Public Works started to discourage use of the culvert walkway shortly after the flooding last year. The department said the culvert was originally built solely for flood abatement. It wasn't supposed to be used as a walkway, even though there are signs clearly marking it as a trail.
There are now signs that warn of the danger of flash flooding and a locked gate is in place.
"We've always had some signs up but we really increased our signage, not only in that area but in some other areas around the river just warning that floods are possible, flash flooding does happen," said Ann Williams, spokeswoman for Denver Public Works.
The department said major changes haven't happened in the gulch because the walkways will be changed in 2011 when RTD builds the west corridor of the FasTracks project.
(© 2008 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)