Body of 10-year-old boy found in Passaic River, 10-year-old girl still missing, NJ officials say
10-year-old's body found in Passaic River, 2nd child missing, NJ officials say
A 10-year-old boy's body was recovered from the Passaic River and a girl remains missing after three children were spotted in the water in New Jersey. FOX 5 NY's Stephanie Bertini has the latest.
Passaic, NJ - The body of a 10-year-old boy was recovered from the Passaic River late Wednesday night in New Jersey, but a 10-year-old girl remains missing, officials involved in the effort said Thursday.
Passaic County officials said three children, including a brother and sister, and another girl somehow ended up in the river yesterday evening. It was unclear how or why they were in the water, but it happened near a park.
What we know:
Passaic Mayor Hector Lora said calls for help came in at around 6:20 p.m. Wednesday after three children were spotted in the water. The fire and police departments responded before additional crews, including divers, also arrived on the scene.
A good Samaritan tried to help the children shortly after they were spotted, but he was unsuccessful.
File Photo.
FOX 5 NY's Teresa Priolo reported the missing children, a 10-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl, were accompanied by the boy's 11-year-old sister, who managed to climb out of the river on her own and make it safely back to her mother.
First responders were meticulously combing the thick brush and foliage along the riverbanks, hoping that the children managed to grab onto a branch or tree downstream, according to FOX 5 NY reporting.
The search was facing severe challenges, including total darkness, high tide and unusually high water levels caused by recent storms.
What they're saying:
Divers found the boy's body shortly after 10 p.m. He was confirmed to be one of the missing children, and officials said he may have saved his sister's life by pushing her onto some rocks.
"The 10-year-old boy, as he was going down, maybe an angel, maybe God, used him to push his sister as she made her way out. So she's home, but the mother has lost her little boy," Mayor Lora said.
The mayor noted that first responders remained focused on the girl who is still missing.
"Right now, all of our efforts are on trying to recover the body, but hoping that, perhaps, that we can find the little girl still alive," he said.
What we don't know:
The names of the three children were not immediately released by authorities.
Authorities have also not yet determined what caused the children to go into the river, including if they fell in by accident or were playing near the water's edge.
The Source: This article includes information provided by the Westside Firehouse in Passaic, New Jersey, and reporting by FOX 5 New York.