PASSAIC, New Jersey — Passaic Mayor Hector Lora confirmed Friday evening, July 31, 2026, that the body of the 10-year-old girl who had been missing in the Passaic River for two days has been recovered, bringing a heartbreaking search to an end.
The girl’s body was found shortly before 7:00 p.m. beneath the Market Street Bridge, where the river’s current had carried her downstream toward Newark. Rescue crews had been searching the river continuously since Wednesday evening, when authorities reported that three children had been swept into the water while playing near a boat ramp at Pulaski Park.
The incident occurred on Wednesday, July 29, at approximately 6:21 p.m., near the boat ramp by Dundee Island Park. According to Mayor Lora, the ramp was submerged due to high water, creating the illusion that it extended much farther than it actually did. The three children were standing on the ramp together when they suddenly fell into the river.
A man who happened to be nearby immediately jumped into the water in an attempt to save them, but the current was so powerful that he was only able to make it about five meters before the water reached his chest, forcing him to stop.
An 11-year-old girl managed to make it safely back to shore. According to her account, her 10-year-old brother pushed her toward the rocks along the riverbank moments before he was swept away by the current, an act that authorities believe saved her life. His body was recovered later that night, shortly after 10:00 p.m.
The search for the third child, a 10-year-old girl who was a friend of the siblings, continued throughout Thursday and Friday with boats, sonar equipment, drones, and K-9 search teams covering more than nine miles of the river. Rescue crews were preparing to suspend the day’s search when her body was discovered Friday evening near Veterans Court.
All three children were from Garfield, New Jersey. Mayor Lora said the families received support throughout the search and noted that, despite the unimaginable tragedy, the families of the two children who lost their lives grew close and supported one another during those difficult days.
With the recovery of the girl’s body, the search has officially come to an end. The communities of Passaic and Garfield are now mourning the loss of two young lives in a tragedy that has deeply affected people across northern New Jersey.
Sources: CBS New York, NJ.com and X (post by Kyle Mazza)