The authorities will continue the search for a two-year-old boy who fell into a river in Leicester overnight. Police are advising the public to stay away from the hazardous waters.
Officials advised against compromising the “highly skilled and well-organized” search efforts as expert divers scoured the River Soar at Aylestone Meadows nature reserve on Monday evening. The incident occurred over 24 hours prior when the boy fell into the river, which had been swollen due to heavy rainfall.
According to Leicestershire police, the child was with his family when he accidentally fell into the river from a towpath around 5pm on Sunday evening.
On Sunday evening, a man from the family entered the water in an attempt to rescue the young child. Despite his efforts, he was unable to save the child and was taken to the hospital as a precaution. The man has since been released from the hospital, according to police.
“The child was accompanied by family members when he entered the water,” stated Michaela Kerr, assistant chief constable of Leicestershire Police. “We are aware that one individual attempted to rescue the child from the River Soar, but unfortunately, we have not yet located the child.”
She expressed assurance that the police would locate him, stating, “We are putting forth every effort we can. Our dedication to bringing the young boy back to his family is unwavering.”
The police are requesting that anyone who had interactions with them at the location on Monday to reach out again. Additionally, the authorities would like to speak to a person who was walking their dog on the footpath near Packhorse Bridge around 5pm.
Emergency services attended the scene shortly after 5pm on Sunday and a search and rescue operation began in Aylestone Meadows, close to Marsden Lane.
During the night, police divers with night vision goggles continued their search for the missing boy, but unfortunately were unsuccessful. Kerr, speaking to the media on Monday, stated that finding the boy is the top priority for Leicestershire police. He also expressed gratitude to the public for their assistance and urged caution due to the hazardous conditions in the area.
“I kindly request that individuals refrain from returning to this area for their own safety. Our search efforts are highly organized and we do not want anything to compromise our best chance of locating this young child.”
According to Kerr, the intense rainfall has made the water extremely dangerous for search teams. He emphasized the importance of not allowing members of the public to attempt the search due to the required skill and safety measures.
Kerr stated that the search party was examining a large area, starting from the spot where the young boy entered the river. She expressed confidence in the measures that the police have implemented since yesterday.
According to Kerr, teams from the Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire police, as well as extra resources from the Metropolitan police, had collaborated in the search following a “mutual aid request”.
She mentioned that the Leicestershire fire and rescue services were also aiding in the search.
A resident who lives near Aylestone Meadows expressed concern about recent flooding from the River Soar, which has made certain areas of the nature reserve dangerous.
According to her, a helicopter was present over the location for an hour following reports of a missing child who may have fallen into the river.
According to her, the object appeared to be stationary above her house for a considerable amount of time, with its lights on. It remained in the same position for approximately an hour.
The woman who frequently walks in the vicinity mentioned that the nearby canal and river sometimes merge during periods of severe flooding.
“The current conditions are rapidly changing,” she stated. “It has been quite severe. The thought of how her family members must be feeling is devastating.”
Individuals are requested to reach out to 999 with any details referencing incident 476:180224.
Source: theguardian.com
