Demetrius Jones, seen Monday, rides the toy truck he was on when he was swept down the Peace River. (CBC)

A three-year-old boy clung to a plastic toy for almost two hours before being rescued after being swept 12 kilometres down a northern B.C. river early Sunday.

Fort St. John RCMP said Demetrius Jones was camping with his family at Peace Island Park in Taylor, B.C., when, around 7 a.m. MST, he apparently crept out of his grandparents' trailer into his battery-powered plastic toy truck and launched himself into the Peace River. Not knowing where to look, searchers combed the shore and looked downriver.

About two hours later, the boy was found floating in deep, frigid water, clinging to the plastic truck which had overturned.

Rescuer Don Loewen dove in and pulled the shivering boy into his boat.

"He never whimpered or cried or anything. Only thing he did have a bit of concern [about], when we got him in the boat and they got the life jackets on him or the floater coats, and started rubbing him down to warm him up, he was pretty concerned about where his truck was," said Loewen.

The child was treated in hospital for mild exposure but was quickly released. He was back playing alongside the river on Monday.

RCMP urged parents to be more vigilant when their children are near the water's edge.