‘He was never sad’: Family mourns loss of 5-year-old child after campground drowning

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3/Gray News) - A Missouri family is mourning the loss of a 5-year-old child after he drowned at an area campground pool.

Lebanon police said a 911 call came in just before 7 p.m. Sunday from the Bennett Spring Campground.

When emergency crews arrived, two adults were already performing CPR on the child, identified as Colton Alverson.

The boy was taken to a Kansas City hospital, but he ultimately died.

Investigators are continuing to work to determine exactly what happened.

Colton’s father, Steven Alverson, described his son as a happy child.

“Colton was always a happy little man,” Steven Alverson said. “He loved going to school. He loved learning. He was never sad.”

Colton’s father said he loved swimming and cartoons and could always count on making his siblings laugh.

Colton’s stepmother, Samantha Ramirez, also remembered his playful nature.

“He was sweet,” Ramirez said. “When everyone is quiet watching a show, you’ll just hear him randomly counting or saying his ABCs.”

Steven Alverson is now making funeral arrangements while working to help Colton’s siblings understand the loss.

“We’ve got a long road ahead of us,” he said. “I don’t want people to be sad that he’s gone. He was always bringing joy to the world. So I just want to keep that memory going and the joyfulness that he brought to everyone’s lives.”