Authorities in Connecticut are searching for a 6-year-old boy who vanished after falling into the Housatonic River.
The child, whose name has not been released, was walking on the Birdseye Boat Ramp around 1:30 p.m. local time on Wednesday, Aug. 6, when he fell into the water, according to a news release from the Stratford Police Department (SPD).
A United Illuminating employee “jumped into the river in [an] attempt to save” him, but police said the rescue was unsuccessful and the boy has yet to be found.
By Thursday, Aug. 7, officials confirmed that the search had shifted to a recovery mission, according to NBC affiliate WVIT and CBS affiliate WFSB.
Stratford Police Captain Jerry Pinto said strong currents have hindered search efforts.
“We are hopeful we find the boy today,” Pinto told FOX affiliate WTIC-TV. “The currents are strong and it’s murky and it’s not easy to do it.”
Crews from Stratford, Bridgeport, Fairfield, Westport, Shelton, Trumbull, Guilford, Monroe, Connecticut State Police, and the Coast Guard are all participating in the recovery mission, according to police.
Since 2021, nearly 50 drownings have been reported along the Housatonic River, WVIT reported, citing the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Two people — including another child — have died within the past month after entering the river.
New Milford Mayor Pete Bass warned that strong undercurrents caused by dams and hydro plants make the Housatonic especially dangerous.
“You go under the water, the currents can grab you in like a washing machine, and push you to the bottom of the river, and it can be a very, very dangerous situation,” Bass said, per WVIT.
