Child Rescued From Clear Creek By Arvada Fire Department

ARVADA, CO -- A young girl was pulled from Clear Creek at Anderson Park in Wheat Ridge Thursday by Arvada Fire rescuers.

"We got a call around 11:50 a.m. for a youth in the creek," said Michelle Cherniske, Arvada Fire public information officer. The girl, whose age was not known, was "splashing around in the creek" her mother told rescuers, when she decided to try to swim over to an area where a rope was hanging from a tree.

"The current was pretty strong, as it is right now, and she was hanging on, not sure she could swim back," Cherniske said.

Firefighters wearing special water suits used styrofoam "boogie boards" to reach the child, whom they fitted out with a "personal flotation device" she said.

The girl said the water was cold, but she was "fine with no injuries," the spokeswoman said.

The Boulder National Weather Service warned over Memorial Day that even in hot weather, "water temperatures remain extremely cold (especially in streams and reservoirs fed by snow melt)."

Cold water can trigger an "involuntary gasp reflex" that can bring water into the lungs, according to the National Center for Cold Water Safety. That reflex and hyperthermia are the biggest factors leading drowning in cold water. "You should treat any water temperature below 70F with caution," the agency warns.

Watch video of Arvada fire water rescuers at work here:

Image via Arvada Fire