BEAVER, Utah (ABC4) — The child hospitalized after driving a toy tractor into a river in southwestern Utah is the son of rodeo star Spencer Wright, the family’s spokesperson and close friend told ABC4.com on Wednesday.
Mindy Sue Clark told the station the child in the incident was Levi Wright, a young boy in a Utah family of rodeo superstars. Levi is currently at a Salt Lake City hospital and continues to be in critical condition.
Earlier on Wednesday, Clark posted a statement on Facebook on behalf of the boy’s parents, Spencer and Kallie Wright:
“Levi’s heart is beating on its own, he has a will to breathe but his sweet little brain was without oxygen too long and there is no coming back from that. We cuddled him all night and feel strongly that his spirit is no longer with us. We can’t be selfish and drag this out for days, he doesn’t deserve that. Shortly we will stop care and hold him close until his last breath on earth. My Baby, my beans, Mom & Dad love you always and forever!”
The statement added: “Please give them time to navigate through this process. They will have more to share soon. Please send prayers for healing and comfort.”
While the family is preparing for the worst, Clark told ABC4.com that the family has not given up all hope. She says they are still watching for any signs that may indicate a positive outcome.
They also hope that sharing their story might connect them with someone who may be able to help them in their situation.
On Tuesday, Beaver County Sheriff’s Office said the child drove a toy tractor into a river around 6 p.m. The reporting party told dispatch they lost visual contact with the boy.
Alongside deputies, the Utah Highway Patrol, the Beaver County Search and Rescue team, and Beaver firefighters responded. Crews quickly found the child.
They administered life-saving measures before an ambulance brought the boy to a Beaver County hospital. A helicopter later transported him to Salt Lake City.
Friends of the family are hosting a fundraiser in which participants will be able to win hat racks and other rodeo-related items. All of the money will go to the Wright family, organizers said.
Additionally, a benefit auction has been set up to help the “strong cowboy” and his family.
Clark said they have felt an outpouring of support from the rodeo community and that it “means the world” to them.
“This love and support exists all the time, and it’s just a matter of who’s on the receiving end that day,” she said.
The child hospitalized after driving a toy tractor into a river in southwestern Utah has been identified as Levi Wright, the son of rodeo star Spencer Wright. (Credit: Mindy Sue Clark) 
Levi Wright is seen driving a toy tractor. A family spokesperson says his brain was without oxygen for “too long” after he drove a toy tractor into a river in Beaver County. (Credit: Mindy Sue Clark) 
Levi Wright (left) has been identified as the child who drove a toy tractor into a river in Beaver County. (Credit: Mindy Sue Clark) 
The child hospitalized after driving a toy tractor into a river in southwestern Utah has been identified as Levi Wright, the son of rodeo star Spencer Wright. (Credit: Mindy Sue Clark)
The Wright name is synonymous with dominance on the rodeo circuit. Spencer Wright’s father, Bill Wright, is a ProRodeo Hall of Famer, and most of Spencer’s siblings are top athletes who compete in rodeo events across the country.
According to The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, Spencer Wright currently ranks 40th in global standings. Earlier this year, he won the Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show and Rodeo in Mercedes, Texas.
In a statement PRCA CEO Tom Glause said that the Wright family has been a cornerstone in rodeo for years.
“The entire ProRodeo community’s heart aches for the Wright family,” he said. “We will continue to hold them in our thoughts and prayers.”
