Authorities in Connecticut are actively searching for a 6-year-old boy who went missing after falling into the Housatonic River.
The child, whose identity has not been released, fell into the river near the Birdseye Boat Ramp around 1:30 p.m. local time on Wednesday, Aug. 6, according to a news release from the Stratford Police Department (SPD).
A United Illuminating employee jumped into the river in an effort to rescue him, but police confirmed those attempts were unsuccessful and the boy remains missing.
By Thursday, Aug. 7, officials confirmed that the search had shifted from rescue to recovery, as reported by NBC affiliate WVIT and CBS affiliate WFSB.
Stratford Police Captain Jerry Pinto explained that strong currents are hampering efforts to locate the boy.
“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 involved in the search, according to police.
Since 2021, nearly 50 drownings have occurred along the Housatonic River, per data cited by WVIT from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. In the past month alone, two people, including another child, have died after entering the river.
New Milford Mayor Pete Bass highlighted the dangers posed by strong undercurrents created by dams and hydroelectric plants along the river.
“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, as reported by WVIT.
