- Kolton Rawlinson, 9, died in an ATV crash in Utah County last Sunday.
- Kolton was adventurous loved the outdoors and was known for his big heart.
- Family and community mourn his loss with a fundraiser for funeral costs.
PAYSON — The family of a 9-year-old boy who police said died in an all-terrain vehicle accident on Sunday on West Mountain in Utah County has shared his identity.
His aunt, Lacie Rawlinson, identified the boy as Kolton Rawlinson.
Kolton — who was known to everyone who loved him as Kolt — was an adventurous kid who loved being outdoors, whether it involved sports, camping or fishing.
"Kolton could make anything more fun just by showing up, always laughing and up to his next big prank on his family and friends," the Rawlinson family told KSL in a statement. "He had the best energy and the biggest heart, and anyone who knew him felt it."
Kolton was riding an ATV with his father on Sunday morning when it crashed and rolled, the family said.
Kolton and his dad were on "an average hill" that people in the community go for off-road recreation. Both the Utah County Sheriff's Office and the family said Kolton was wearing protective gear.
"This was a father and son doing something they absolutely loved together, which somehow turned into a horrible, unforeseeable accident," the Rawlinson family said.
Initially, the Utah County Sheriff's Office said Kolton was on the ATV with his stepfather, but the boy's family clarified that he was with his dad on the mountain.
The crash left Kolton "mortally injured," according to the Utah County Sheriff's Office. Lifesaving measures were performed on the mountain before Kolton was flown to Primary Children's Hospital in Lehi, where he died.
"We don't know how to move forward without him," the family statement says. "But the love this community has shown us is getting us through. We are more grateful than words can say."
Just a few months shy of what would have been Kolton's 10th birthday, his family is now reeling with the heartbreak and devastation of saying their final goodbyes as memorial services were planned for this weekend.
An online fundraiser* was created in Kolton's honor to help his family navigate funeral costs.
"He was the sweetest, bravest, most hilarious kid — the kind of boy who could make you laugh until you cried and then turn around and melt your heart. He was a joy to be around, and the hole he leaves behind is immeasurable. He will be forever missed," Kolton's family wrote in his obituary.
Kolton's family thanked the many responders, deputies, nurses, respiratory therapists as well as child life specialists and Share Parents of Utah "who all worked so hard to keep our boy here with us and then gave us such great care when our universe broke apart."
Details of how the crash occurred have yet to be released by the Utah County Sheriff's Office.
*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
