Young Boy Dies After Going Missing During Christmas Eve Hike

A four-year-old boy who had gotten lost in Central, Louisiana on Christmas Eve during a hike with his father died after being rescued from freezing waters, according to local authorities.

Officials said they were called by a "frantic" parent at about 2:40 p.m. on December 24 and were told by the man that his son had wandered off and he could not find him, local television station WAFB reported.

The two were hiking on trails near the Amite River, according to Central Police Department officials quoted by Baton Rouge-based newspaper The Advocate.

The father looked for his son for 15-20 minutes before calling the authorities, the newspaper wrote.

Several agencies, including the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office, Central Fire Department, and the St. George Fire Department, launched a search for the missing boy, who, according to Central Police Chief Roger Corcoran, was found around an hour after he went missing.

Authorities said the boy was found still alive but unconscious in the freezing waters of the Amite River and was rescued by a fireman.

"The fireman did not hesitate to jump in the water, and we know that water is probably 10 degrees, he did his job as a first responder," Corcoran said, as quoted by WAFB.

The four-year-old boy was then brought to the hospital in critical condition, but later died at the facility.

It's not yet clear whether the child accidentally slipped or willingly jumped into the river. Corcoran said: "We don't know if he fell or jumped in, it's unknown."

Detectives in the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office will lead the investigation into the child's death, while the East Baton Rouge Coroner's Office will perform an autopsy on his body.

The Advocate reported that the child has been identified by investigators as Matias Stricker Abreu, according to a spokesperson for the East Baton Rouge Coroner's Office.

Newsweek has contacted the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office for comment, and was told that investigations into the child's death are ongoing.

Temperatures in Louisiana, including the East Baton Rouge Parish, dropped over the weekend as an Arctic blast pounded the U.S., stretching from the Great Lakes, near Canada, to the Rio Grande in Texas.

Around midday on Christmas Eve, temperatures in Louisiana were just above freezing.

At least 34 people across the U.S. were killed by the "once-in-a-generation" winter storm in the past few days.