A 10-year-old boy has died and his sister is missing after they entered a swollen river in Passaic, New Jersey, on Wednesday. An 11-year-old who was with them survived, with local officials crediting the deceased boy with saving her life.
Passaic Mayor Hector Lora stated that as the 10-year-old boy began to go under in the rain-swollen Passaic River, he pushed his sister towards rocks, allowing her to climb to safety. She is currently alive, according to Lora. The other 10-year-old, also a girl, remained missing early Thursday. Search and rescue operations, including the use of drones and sonar, were underway and described by the Passaic Fire Department Chief Patrick Trentacost as a "recovery operation."
The three children were in Pulaski Park when the incident occurred. It remains unclear how they entered the river, which was at an unusually high level due to heavy rainfall in the region. The fast current and elevated water levels caused the children to be quickly pulled into deeper water, according to authorities.
First responders received calls around 6:20 p.m. Lora mentioned that a man in the park attempted to rescue the children before emergency services arrived, but he was pushed back by the strong current approximately 16 feet from the shore. The man expressed his distress over the event.
The Passaic River flows for about 80 miles through varied terrain before emptying into Newark Bay. Passaic is situated approximately 10 miles north of New York City.