Passaic, NJ – Rescue crews continued searching Thursday for a 10-year-old girl after her friend, a 10-year-old boy, was found dead in the Passaic River following a tragic incident Wednesday evening that also left the boy’s older sister fighting to survive.
Divers recovered the boy’s body shortly after 10 p.m. after he and another 10-year-old girl were swept away by the river’s strong current. An 11-year-old girl, identified by Passaic Mayor Hector Lora as the boy’s sister, survived after making it out of the water.
Mayor says boy saved his sister’s life
Speaking to reporters Thursday, Lora said the surviving girl told him her younger brother likely saved her life during the ordeal.
According to the mayor, the boy pushed his sister toward rocks along the riverbank, allowing her to climb to safety before he was carried away by the current. The missing child is a 10-year-old friend of the siblings, Lora said.
“Right now, all of our efforts are in trying to recover the body but hoping that perhaps, maybe hope against all things, that we could find the little girl still alive,” Lora told FOX 5 New York.
Witnesses say children were playing in river
Witnesses told authorities the three children had been playing in the water when they were caught by strong currents beneath a bridge along the Passaic River.
A bystander jumped into the river in an attempt to rescue the children but was unable to reach the two 10-year-olds before they were swept downstream, according to witness accounts.
Marine units, dive teams, drones, and other emergency personnel searched through the night before suspending operations because of darkness. The search resumed Thursday morning as crews combed the river.
Rising water complicates recovery efforts
Lora said elevated water levels and swift currents have made the search increasingly difficult for first responders.
Family members and loved ones gathered along the riverbank Thursday, watching as police, firefighters, and specialized search teams continued the recovery operation.