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3 Children Rescued From Ice In Colorado River

DENVER (AP) - A 6-year-old girl was rescued from an icy river in western Colorado, along with her brother and another young boy who jumped in to try to save her, authorities and a witness said.

John Coffey, of Hot Sulphur Springs, said he ran to the bank of the Colorado River and called 911 when he heard one of the children screaming for help.

The girl fell into the river while playing on rocks, Coffey said, and her 8-year-old brother jumped in to try to save her, but he got caught in the current.

"He kept screaming 'Save my little sister,'" Coffey said.

A 10-year-old neighbor boy who was with the children then entered the river to try to save them. Coffey managed to pull that boy out of the river before rescue crews arrived at the scene, about 65 miles northwest of Denver.

The children, whose names weren't released, were taken to Middle Park Medical Center in Granby for evaluation. A hospital spokesman didn't immediately return a call inquiring about their conditions.

Coffey said that after bringing the 10-year-old to safety, he went into the river to try to reach the other two but could not.

The 8-year-old climbed onto a piece of ice floating in the river and pulled his sister onto it, Coffey said.

"I talked to them through until the emergency crew got there," Coffey said. He said he was worried most about the girl because she had been in the freezing water for about seven minutes.

"I just kept telling her, 'Baby they're coming for you,'" Coffey said. "It was very scary, I'll tell you."

The Grand County Sheriff's Department used ladders and a raft to pull the two children out.

- By Rema Rahman, AP Writer

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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