Body of 6-year-old child recovered from Mississippi River near downtown Minneapolis
A two-day search for a 6-year-old who went missing in the Mississippi River near downtown Minneapolis has concluded, with the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office announcing that the boy's body was found around 11 a.m. Monday.
The boy's body was recovered near the Hennepin Avenue Bridge by a water patrol team from Hennepin County and the the DNR, the sheriff's office said. His identity will be released following review by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office.
The child was among a group of five kids who went on a bike ride with two adults to Boom Island near downtown Minneapolis, according to a news release from the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office.
While there, some of the children decided to wade in the water but went too deep and began to struggle. One of the adults was able to pull two of the children from the water, but the 6-year-old went missing.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of this child," said Hennepin County Sheriff Dave Hutchinson in a release. "This has been an extremely difficult few days. Water Patrol has been working tirelessly and the family has been at the scene the entire time. For them, this heartbreaking story is far from over, but we hope that the recovery of the child's body can be a first step towards healing."
The intensive search began around 6:20 p.m. Saturday, about a half-mile from where his body was found. Authorities worked around the clock in search of the boy.
Minneapolis Fire, Minneapolis Park Police, Minneapolis Police, Ramsey County Water Patrol and the DNR assisted in the operation.
