Photo: Merrimon / iStock / Getty Images
A 13-year-old boy from Las Vegas drowned over the weekend as the city was hit with a series of torrential rainstorms. Authorities said Ryan Taylor was injured while floating down the flooded streets in an inner tube on Saturday (September 2).
Taylor was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead the next day. The coroner's office determined Taylor's death to be accidental drowning.
"Words cannot express the pain of losing your child. We lost our firstborn, a friend to so many, and big brother to his brother and sisters. So quickly things can change from fun," Taylor's father said in a statement to KLAS.
"Floodwaters are not a joke or to be played with. Social media videos can make it seem safe, fun, or comical but power of water is unimaginable. Thank you to the brave residents who helped lift the car and pull him out with me. And the first responders for all of their efforts. I'm sorry to everyone who knew my son. Please remember his life and memories and help him live on through our love," the statement continued.
Many areas of Las Vegas were dealing with flooded streets as a series of heavy rain storms soaked the desert city with up to two inches of rain. That is roughly half a year's worth of rain for the city.