A desperate search is underway for a 10-year-old girl after three children were swept away by a rain-swollen river in Passaic, New Jersey. One 10-year-old boy drowned while his 11-year-old sister survived the harrowing ordeal on Wednesday. Passaic Mayor Hector Lora said the boy's final actions may have saved his sister's life.
'He put his hand on her head, trying to get up above the water, and he may have inadvertently saved her life without even knowing,' Mayor Lora told reporters on Thursday. The 11-year-old girl described how her brother placed his hand on her head as he was trying to go up, allowing her to feel the rocks and climb out of the water.
The search for the other 10-year-old girl continued into Thursday morning. Passaic Fire Department Chief Patrick Trentacost said multiple boats, divers, drones, and sonar technology were being used to try and find the girl. Chief Trentacost described the efforts as a 'recovery operation,' vowing it would continue 'as long as necessary.'
Calls for help came in around 6:20 p.m. local time Wednesday after bystanders saw the three children in the water. A good Samaritan unsuccessfully tried to help the children out of the water. The Passaic River was higher than usual due to heavy rainfall in the region, and firefighters in neighboring Paterson rescued about 20 people trapped by rapidly rising floodwaters.
The river flows about 80 miles through forest land and suburbs before entering more urban areas and emptying into Newark Bay. No names have been released.