A MOM has drowned trying to save her two kids from a fast-flowing river with one child in hospital and the other still missing.
A mom and dad took their four kids for a family fishing trip in Newburyport, Massachusetts, on Thursday when their six-year-old son and young daughter fell in.
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Amesbury Fire Department told NC Boston that the young boy and his seven-year-old sister went into Merrimack River.
Their mom, 29, went in to help them but sadly perished.
A rescue operation for the six-year-old shifted into one focused on recovery on Friday before being fully suspended.
The family – who has not yet been named – had been fishing and swimming at Deer Island when the father, 31, went to their car at 7pm to get something.
When he came back, he found his boy had been swept away by strong tides while trying to reach for something in the water.
The boy’s mother and sister jumped into the river to save him but were also caught in the strong current, according to Massachusetts State Police.
The dad returned from the family car to find his wife and daughter in the water and jumped in after them but couldn’t reach them after getting into trouble himself.
The current carried the mother and daughter inland where a person in a boat saw them struggling and was able to pull them out, officials said.
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The mother was having trouble hoisting herself up and disappeared under the water.
The girl and her mother were taken to Anna Jacques Hospital in Newburyport.
The seven-year-old was treated and released but her mother sadly died after being found unresponsive and not breathing by rescuers.
A search operation for the young boy was suspended on Friday at 5pm, pending new information, the Coast Guard said.
“It is always a difficult decision to suspend a search and rescue case, and even more painful when children are involved,” said Capt. Kailie Benson, Coast Guard Sector Boston commander.
“Considering the extensive search efforts by the Coast Guard and the numerous state and local agencies, along with on scene conditions, I have made the decision to suspend the search for the missing 6-year-old boy.”
“Our prayers are with the boy and mother’s family and friends during this time,” Benson added.
Massachusetts State Police said they expected the search to restart on Saturday following a 10-hour search on Friday.
The search included the Coast Guard, harbormasters, state police, local police and fire departments as well as state environmental police.
Some 10 state police divers were used and helicopters were seen scouring the area.
The search is now being focused on the part of the river where the boy’s mother and sister were pulled from.
Divers were using sonar and being towed behind boats to look for the boy.
Newburyport Fire Chief Christopher LeClaire said strong currents in the river were presenting challenges to the search mission.
He said the conditions on Deer Island the day the boy went missing were typical, noting the river’s quick pace.
“It is quite heavily used this time of year. People are known to fish along the edge along Deer Island,” he said.
