10-Year-Old Boy Found Dead in New Jersey River as Search Continues for Missing Sister

Search crews in Passaic, New Jersey, continued working along the Passaic River after the body of a 10-year-old boy was recovered late Wednesday night, while his 10-year-old sister remained missing, Mayor Hector Lora told reporters.

“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 said during an interview with FOX 5 New York.

Speaking with visible emotion, Lora said he was still holding on to the possibility that the girl survived, suggesting her brother may have helped push her toward safety before he went under.

“The 10-year-old boy, as he was going down, maybe an angel, maybe God used him to push his little sister, and now she made her way out so she’s home. But the mother has lost her little boy,” Lora said.

According to Lora, emergency calls began coming in at about 6:20 p.m. Wednesday after witnesses reported seeing three children struggling in the river, FOX 5 reported.

A bystander attempted to rescue the children from the water but was unable to pull them to safety, the station reported.

Search and rescue operations were ongoing into Thursday morning. The efforts were hampered in part by high water levels due to recent storms.

The search and rescue operations included members of the Passaic Police Department, the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office and the New Jersey State Police.

News Outlet contacted the Passaic Police Department, the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office and the New Jersey State Police for further information.