Beloved boy, 9, dies after being 'mortally-injured' while riding ATV up 'modest hill' with his father

By ALYSSA GUZMAN, US NEWS REPORTER Published: 20:15, 4 April 2026 | Updated: 20:15, 4 April 2026 A nine-year-old boy died in an ATV accident while riding up a 'modest' hill on a Utah mountain with his father.  Kolton 'Kolt' Rawlinson and his father, Hyrum, were traversing up an 'average' hill on West Mountain in Utah on Sunday, when their ATV crashed and rolled.  The crash happened on a popular road where many in the community went out on ATV rides, his family told KSL. The beloved nine-year-old was wearing protective gear.  Rawlinson was left 'mortally injured' after the attack, the Utah County Sheriff's Office said.  The young boy was life-flighted to Primary Children's Hospital in Lehi, where he was pronounced dead, just a few months shy of his 10th birthday, his family said.  'We don't know how to move forward without him,' they said in a statement.  The Rawlinson family took comfort that his final moments were a 'father and son doing something they absolutely loved together.'  Rawlinson loved being outdoors and enjoyed camping and fishing, and was constantly 'finding mud puddles, running bases, or getting into some type of trouble,' his obituary said.  Kolton 'Kolt' Rawlinson, nine, died on Sunday after he and his father, Hyram, got into an ATV crash on West Mountain in Utah The family said his death was unbearable and they didn't know how to move on, but they took comfort in his final moments being him doing something he loved 'The outdoors was Kolt’s second favorite place, only beaten by being anywhere with his dad.'  His family remembered him as being a prankster, who was 'always laughing,' and that he had the ability to 'make anything more fun just by showing up,' they told KSL.  'Once you became infected with one of his giant smiles, you were instantly loved by him,' his obituary read.   '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,' his obituary read.  Rawlinson was born on July 24, 2016, and he and his old sister Kennedie lived with their grandparents for the first six months of his life, his obituary said.  'Over the next nine years, day by day and year by year, Mom and Dad beat every battle and every demon to be the best parents to Kolt and Kennedie,' it read. Rawlinson and his father were quite close, and the boy considered his dad his 'hero.'  And like most younger brothers, Rawlinson made sure to be a 'thorn in his sister's side,' his obituary said.  They were traversing an 'average' hill on a popular road for ATVs on the mountain, the family said The family remembers the boy as loving the outdoors and being a prankster  Rawinson loved his sister, Kennedie, and his dogs, who he considered his 'babies'  'Yet, he loved her deeper than she knew possible.'  The boy also loved his dogs more than video games, the family said, and he 'wasn't shy about letting you know those were his babies.'   Rawinson was laid to rest on Saturday.   No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.