The body of a 10-year-old girl was recovered from a New Jersey river two days after she vanished while swimming with two siblings, ending a massive search involving helicopters, boats, sonar equipment, drones and cadaver dogs.
The girl’s remains were found Friday, July 31, beneath the Market Street Bridge in the Passaic River, Passaic Mayor Hector Lora said.
Search crews from multiple cities, counties and state agencies had spent two days combing a nine-mile stretch of the river for the missing child.
The tragedy began at about 6:21 p.m. Wednesday, July 29, when the girl entered the water near a boat ramp at Dundee Island Park with a 10-year-old boy and his 11-year-old sister.
Authorities said a powerful undercurrent suddenly pulled all three children deeper into the river.
Only the 11-year-old girl managed to make it back to shore.
Her younger brother reportedly pushed her toward the shoreline as they struggled in the current, an action that may have saved her life.
“He may have unintentionally saved her life,” Lora said.
The 10-year-old boy and the missing girl, who was a friend of the siblings, were unable to escape the water.
A man nearby attempted to rescue the children but could not reach them.
Search teams recovered the boy’s body at about 10 p.m. Wednesday, roughly 50 feet from the boat ramp where the children had entered the river.
A memorial was later created for him on the Wall Street Bridge in Passaic.
The search for the girl continued through Friday, with crews using aircraft, boats, sonar technology, drones and specially trained dogs to examine the river and surrounding areas.
Her body was eventually located beneath the Market Street Bridge.
Officials have not publicly released the names of any of the children.
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