Boy's Body Found In NJ River, Search For Girl Underway, Officials Say

PASSAIC COUNTY, NJ — The search for a missing 10-year-old girl is underway after a 10-year-old boy's body was found in the Passaic River early Thursday morning, officials said.

Officials said that some time on Wednesday evening, three children — the boy, his 11-year-old sister, and their 10-year-old friend, also a girl — entered the Passaic River.

Passaic Mayor Hector Lora said the 11-year-old sister made it out safely, but her 10-year-old brother's body was found around 10 p.m. And the 10-year-old girl is still missing.

In a video posted to social media shortly after 1:30 a.m. on Thursday, Lora said, "I ask that you continue to pray for the families and to hold them up in your thoughts because they are in need of your support."

Lora told NJ.com that the 11-year-old girl who survived told officials her little brother pushed her toward shore as he was sinking — potentially saving her life.

The mayor told news outlets that police were called to the river around 6:20 p.m. on Wednesday. He said that the children did not go into the river intentionally.

A rescue operation continued on Thursday, Lora said, with responders searching riverbanks and under bridges for the missing girl.

The girl was still missing as of Thursday afternoon, the Associated Press reported.

The children went into the river near a section of Dundee Island Park, the Bergen Record said. The three were on a boat ramp that, when covered by water, may appear longer than it is, he said.

Everett Garnto, the mayor of nearby Garfield, posted on social media Thursday, "I ask everyone to please keep the families from our school district in your thoughts and prayers as they cope with the horrific tragedy that occurred yesterday evening in Passaic."

Lora told the media, "The families are extremely distraught...but we are holding out hope."

Thursday Evening

The search continued into Thursday evening. Pompton Lakes' Volunteer Fire Department posted on social media that they had come to relieve other first responders.

"Pompton Lakes Fire Department has responded to the scene with our boat to relieve other departments and to try to find the missing girl," they wrote around 6 p.m. "This is one of the saddest that we do, but the family deserves our every effort. Please pray or think good thoughts for the families and the first responders."

Rivers Rise In Floods

Floodwaters raged around Passaic County this week after heavy storms dumped five inches of rain on the area from Monday through Tuesday. Seventy-five people were rescued from flooding on Tuesday in just one Passaic County town, police said.

Police in Paterson had posted hours before the drowning, "The Passaic River remains high following yesterday's heavy rainfall."

Patch will update this breaking story as more information becomes available.