Family: 2 children survive fall at Gooseberry Falls State Park

Two young children fell about 40 feet and survived Saturday afternoon at Gooseberry Falls State Park, sister station WDIO-TV first reported.

First responders were called to Gooseberry Falls State Park near Two Harbors on a report of children falling off a cliff and into the water. Witnesses told WDIO the children survived and were taken away from the scene.

In an email to KSTP’s Eric Chaloux on Monday, the Silver family reported the following:

The 5-year-old girl and 6-year-old boy were not in the water initially; they were on a path and slipped. The girl attempted to help the boy and before the family could grab the two children, they ended up in the water.

The two children were pushed by the current and the family started running, trying to grab the two out of the water. A bystander shouted at people below the falls to prepare to help.

The children’s mother said she arrived at the bottom of the falls and saw the two children surrounded by people. She said she saw her son’s foot move and a nurse assured her the two children were alive. She said she was able to see her two children before paramedics took them away to the helicopters at the scene.

The 5-year-old girl needed stitches in her nose and hand. Part of her nose was broken and she has a broken finger, as well as a broken arm at the elbow, the family said.

The 6-year-old boy had a small gash on his forehead and suffered a minor concussion, the family said.

Neither suffered leg, spine or brain injuries, according to the family.

"We want to thank everyone who helped," the family stated in the email. "If you were at the top trying to help, at the bottom and helped grab them, if you helped surround them and keep them warm, if you prayed for them, if you helped my family in any way on Saturday, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart."

The family has started a GoFundMe page to help pay for medical bills.