11-Year-Old Boy Dead After Truck Crashed in Colorado Creek, 2 Months Before His Birthday

Octavio Ruiz Munoz Jr. would have turned 12 on June 16

An 11-year-old boy has died after a vehicle that he was traveling in crashed into a body of water in Colorado.

According to an obituary shared by the Yampa Valley Funeral Home on Wednesday, April 10, the victim’s name was Octavio Ruiz Munoz Jr., though he was fondly known to loved ones as “Junior.”

The incident happened at approximately 9:00 p.m. on Friday, April 6, when a vehicle that the boy and several others were in went off of the road near the 232 off-ramp I-70 westbound near the Empire Junction, according to a Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office press release.

When deputies arrived at the scene, they found “a truck submerged in the [Clear Creek] river” with individuals who needed assistance.

“Deputies observed two females with facial lacerations and a male running up the embankment screaming for help,” the release read.

The responding officials were informed that a fourth victim, Octavio, was still trapped in the submerged truck.

Clear Creek County Sheriff's deputies, Idaho Springs and Georgetown police officers, and a bystander hurried into the river in an attempt to rescue the youth.

However, they “encountered difficulty” once in the water because the child was “trapped between a boulder and the vehicle.”

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While the deputies were able to lift the boulder enough to free Octavio's body, they were unable to resuscitate him once back on land.

He was pronounced dead upon arrival at a local hospital, the release read.

"The Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office offers our deepest condolences to the grieving family during this very difficult time," the agency stated.

According to Octavio's obituary, he would have been 12 years old on June 16.

Related: 5 Dead, Including 3 Preschoolers, After School Bus Collides with Semi Truck in Illinois

He is survived by his father Octavio and mother Mayra, his siblings Lesley and Kimberly Ruiz, and many extended family members.

The Granby, Colorado native was a 6th-grade student at East Grand Middle School and was “known for being happy.”

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“He always had a smile on his face. He loved to ski and play sports, his favorite being soccer. He was an active boy who was always a great help as he worked and built things with his dad,” his obituary added.

Octavio's funeral and celebration of life will be held on Saturday, April 13, at Winter Park Christian Church in Tabernash. The service will begin at 11:00 a.m. with a reception to follow.

The cause of the crash is under investigation, Denver’s 9 News reports.

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