Las Vegas Flood Waters Lead to Boy’s Death After Inner-Tubing Goes Wrong

Posted on: September 5, 2023, 03:49h. 

Last updated on: September 5, 2023, 04:12h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More
Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

A boy who turned 13 only days ago drowned on Saturday in Las Vegas after trying to have fun inner-tubing on flooded waters with his friends.

Good Samaritans reach SUV in Las Vegas
Good Samaritans reach SUV in Las Vegas under which is an injured Ryan Taylor. They were able to lift the vehicle and pull out the 13-year-old boy. But he passed away hours later. (Image: Kayla Sanders via KSNV)

Ryan Taylor got injured and was located in water near Boulder Highway. He was rescued from beneath an SUV on Saturday afternoon.

Good Samaritans lifted up the vehicle to reach his body. Taylor was then pulled out by relatives, neighbors, and passersby — including one local man, John Cruz.

The boy was rushed to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center for treatment. But he passed away early on Sunday.

The Clark County Coroner’s office said he died from an accidental drowning.

Eyewitness Accounts

Ryan had been playing with other youngsters in the water. One eyewitness, Jennifer Webb, said the kids were having fun.

“He was waving at everybody like he was having a great time, and then he got around that curve over there, and it was like a gully,” Webb told Las Vegas TV station KSNV.

It was really terrifying,” Cruz recalled to KSNV. “I didn’t know firsthand what was happening. The water is still flowing in hard, and I pushed through that, and ended up helping bring that boy out.”

Taylor’s father, Mathew Taylor, released a statement over Labor Day weekend that said in part, “So quickly things can change from fun. Floodwaters are not a joke or to be played with. 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.”

Ryan’s mother, Irene Reynaga, also revealed that when paramedics arrived, her son had no heartbeat.

“We arrived to the hospital where they attempted everything possible to save our son,” she added. “Despite all prayers and efforts, he sadly passed at 2:30 a.m. (Sunday).”

“Words cannot express the pain of losing your child,” Mathew Taylor said. “We lost our firstborn, a friend to so many, and big brother to his brother and sisters.”

Ryan Taylor
Ryan Taylor in photos, pictured above. (Images: GoFundMe)

The family has set up a GoFundMe page to assist with expenses. It raised $7,205 as of Tuesday. The initial goal was $5,000.

“Ryan was such an amazing kid. He was so helpful with his siblings and had such a big heart,” the GoFundMe page stated.

Second Drowning

In another weekend incident, Las Vegas Fire and Rescue crews on Saturday found a lifeless body near Rainbow Boulevard.

It appears the unnamed victim drowned Friday night during stormy weather. The body got swept away in currents before coming to rest among debris, according to Las Vegas TV station KLAS.

During the height of the storm, there were many rescues of pedestrians by Las Vegas firefighters after the civilians got stranded in waterways. Between 30 and 35 vehicles also got stranded in the water during the storms.