NEED TO KNOW
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The body of a 6-year-old boy, who fell into a river in Connecticut on Aug. 6, has been found
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His body was discovered by “civilian boaters” on Aug. 8, about half a mile south of where he disappeared, authorities said
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The identity of the boy has not yet been released publicly
The body of a 6-year-old boy, who fell into a river in Connecticut, has been found.
His body was discovered floating in the Housatonic River by “civilian boaters” around 2 p.m. local time on Friday, Aug. 8, according to a press release shared on Facebook by the Stratford Police Department (SPD).
The body was found approximately a half a mile south of where the boy fell in the water, per the release.
Marine units were on the scene “almost immediately,” and the boy’s body was transported to the State of Connecticut’s Medical Examiner’s Office, where an autopsy will be conducted. The child’s family has since been notified, police said.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the family,” the SPD added in its social media post.
PEOPLE reached out to the SPD and the State of Connecticut’s Medical Examiner’s Office for comment on Saturday, Aug. 9, but did not receive an immediate response.
The child, who has not yet been identified publicly, fell into the Housatonic River while he was walking on the Birdseye Boat Ramp around 1:30 p.m. local time on Wednesday, Aug. 6, according to anews release from the SPD.
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A United Illuminating employee “jumped into the river in [an] attempt to save” him, but police said those efforts were unsuccessful, and the child was not found.
Officials confirmed on Thursday, Aug. 7, that the search for the boy had transitioned into a recovery mission, according to NBC affiliate WVIT and CBS affiliate WFSB.
At the time, Stratford Police Captain Jerry Pinto said strong currents complicated efforts to locate the boy.
“We are hopeful we find the boy today,” Pinto said, per FOX affiliate WTIC-TV. “The currents are strong, and it’s murky and it’s not easy to do it.”
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