In a heart-wrenching search operation, rescuers in New Jersey are tirelessly looking for a 10-year-old girl after they discovered her brother’s body in the Passaic River late Wednesday, Passaic Mayor Hector Lora informed the media.
“We are focused on recovering the girl, but there’s a sliver of hope that she might still be alive,” Lora shared with FOX 5 New York during an interview.
Expressing a hopeful yet heartrending thought, Lora pondered whether the late boy might have managed to help his sister reach safety before it was too late for him.
Police forces in Passaic, supported by surrounding communities, are actively working at the site where a tragic incident unfolded — a boy was found lifeless, and efforts continue to locate his sister who were both in the Passaic River near Veterans Ct, adjacent to a local park in Passaic, New Jersey, on Wednesday, July 29, 2026. (Kyle Mazza/Sipa USA)
“As the boy went under, it’s almost like an angelic force or divine intervention might have allowed him to push his sister to safety, hoping she’s now safe at home, while his mother endures the loss of her son,” Lora said.
Lora also told reporters that calls for help came in around 6:20 p.m. local time Wednesday after bystanders saw three children in the water, according to FOX 5.
A good Samaritan unsuccessfully tried to help the children out of the water, the outlet reported.
Passaic Police and other assisting towns work the scene inside the Passaic River where a 10-year-old boy was found dead and an ongoing operation is underway to recover a 10-year-old girl after both children were in the Passaic River in the vicinity of Veterans Ct near a park in Passaic, New Jersey, (Kyle Mazza/Sipa USA)
Search and rescue operations were ongoing into Thursday morning. The efforts were hampered in part by high water levels due to recent storms.
The search and rescue operations included members of the the Passaic Police Department, the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office and the New Jersey State Police.
Passaic Police and other assisting towns work the scene inside the Passaic River after two children were swept into the Passaic River in the vicinity of Veterans Ct near a park in Passaic, New Jersey, on Thursday, July 30, 2026. A (Kyle Mazza/Sipa USA)
News Media contacted the Passaic Police Department, the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office and the New Jersey State Police for further information.