Boats, divers and sonar teams tracked the current downstream after a rain-swollen river swept away two 10-year-old children.
PASSAIC, N.J. — Emergency crews expanded a recovery search along the Passaic River on Friday for a missing 10-year-old girl, two days after three children entered the fast-moving water and a boy in the group drowned.
Search teams returned to the river early Friday and concentrated farther downstream near Rutherford, where officials believed the current may have carried the girl. Boats had been temporarily withdrawn Thursday night as tides and visibility changed, while land teams continued searching along the banks. Passaic Mayor Hector Lora said authorities were treating the effort as a recovery operation.
The girl entered the river Wednesday evening with a 10-year-old boy and the boy’s 11-year-old sister near a boat ramp in Pulaski Park. The older girl escaped the water. Divers recovered her brother’s body shortly after 10 p.m. Wednesday, but the children’s friend remained missing Friday.
Officials said crews had used boats, helicopters, divers, drones and sonar equipment over several days. Teams repositioned as the current shifted, searching an increasingly broad section of the river. Authorities said the operation involved emergency personnel from Passaic and several surrounding jurisdictions.
The first emergency calls came at about 6:20 p.m. Wednesday after children on the opposite side of the river saw the group in trouble. A man in the park entered the water in an attempt to rescue them, but the current pushed him back as the water became deeper. He was unable to reach the children.
Investigators believe the children were playing near a riverbank boat ramp before they entered the water. Lora said high water may have covered the lower portion of the ramp, making it appear to continue farther than it did. Officials had not confirmed whether the children slipped, fell or stepped beyond the submerged edge.
Heavy rain earlier in the week left the Passaic River higher and faster than usual. Passaic Fire Chief Patrick Trentacost said the children quickly moved into deeper water because of the elevated level and strong current. Crews also faced limited underwater visibility and changing tides.
The dangerous conditions were part of broader flooding across the region. Police in neighboring Paterson warned that the river remained high, while firefighters there rescued about 20 people who became trapped by rapidly rising floodwaters. Authorities said river levels were expected to recede gradually, but fast-moving water continued to pose a danger.
The surviving 11-year-old told officials that her brother helped her reach rocks near the bank as they struggled in the water. She climbed out and returned to her family. The boy’s body was later found a short distance from the area where the children entered.
Officials have not released the children’s names. Relatives of the missing girl remained hopeful as the search continued, while authorities urged the public to stay away from the water and leave the operation to trained responders.
Crews planned to continue searching Friday while adjusting the operation to the river’s current, water level and tide. Authorities had not announced when the recovery effort would end.
Author note: Last updated July 31, 2026.