Massachusetts Merrimack River incident: Mom dies after trying to rescue children while 6-year-old remains missing

Emergency personnel continue their search for the missing boy (Image via Massachusetts Police/Twitter)

A family fishing trip to Massachusetts took a tragic turn after a mother died and her 6-year-old son went missing. The incident occurred in the Merrimack River, Massachusetts, on Thursday. Meanwhile, on Friday, an intensive search-and-rescue effort was underway to find the deceased woman's 6-year-old son.

Authorities have yet to identify the family comprising six members, a mother and father, and their four children. The group was fishing and swimming around Deer Island, Massachusetts, when the tragedy struck. Officials said that the location is a recreational area in the Merrimack River between Amesbury and Newburyport.

Police initially stated that the family might have been involved in a boating accident, however, that was not true.

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Massachusetts tragedy: Strong currents tear a family apart

Newburyport fire and police officials said that two children entered the water at about 7 p.m. on Thursday. Around then, their father, 31, went to get something from the car. But tragedy had already taken place by this time as the 6-year-old kid got swept away by the current.

Witnessing her son in danger, the mother and his sister stepped into the river. Unfortunately, they too got pulled away by the strong currents, as per the Massachusetts police. Although even the father tried to save his family, he was unsuccessful.

Meanwhile, the mother and daughter ended up under the Whittier Bridge in Amesbury, Massachusetts, where a person in a boat was able to pull them out, officials said. But the mother struggled to get on board and instead went underwater. However, once the duo was rescued, they were shifted to Anna Jacques Hospital in Newburyport. Sadly, they couldn't revive the 29-year-old mother. The young girl, however, was treated and later released.

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Authorities continue their mission to rescue the 6-year-old

The search operation was carried out via roadways, air, and water. Divers used sonar to locate the 6-year-old child. On Friday, several teams, including the Coast Guard and environmental police, came together to look for the missing boy.

Newburyport Fire Chief Christopher LeClaire stated that the search efforts would continue until about noon Friday. Once they analyze the situation, they will switch from rescue to recovery.

LeClaire said:

"We're continuing to search. As time goes by, the chances of recovery diminish. We believe we'll be in recovery mode shortly."

LeClaire admitted that the search operation would not be easy and that the strong currents in the river would pose a big hurdle in their efforts.

One could see several first responder vehicles parked along the bridge on Thursday night. Meanwhile, numerous boats were in the Massachusetts River, while state police and Coast Guard helicopters focused on finding the kid as soon as possible.

Len Johnson, an Amesbury resident who lives along the river, said:

"Heaven help you if you do fall in the river, the current just can take you away in a flash."

As of Friday at 5 a.m., the boy remains missing and is the only member of the family not accounted for, according to police.