Search of N.J.'s Passaic River continues after kids entered it, leading to boy's death

First responders are resuming their search in the Passaic River for a little girl who went missing Wednesday night. This comes after the body of another child was found.

The tragedy unfolded around 6:30 p.m. when witnesses saw three kids vanish in the river near Pulaski Park. More than two dozen marine units from multiple agencies responded using boats, sonar and drones. 

One young girl, between 11 and 12 years old, made it out of the water. By her account, her 10-year-old brother may have saved her life by pushing her to safety as he was going under.

Sadly, her brother was found about 30 feet out in the water, not far from the location where the children went in, said Mayor Hector Lora.

Investigators are still working to determine how all three children ended up in the water. But their focus right now remains on finding the 10-year-old girl.    

"The operations have transitioned from a rescue to a recovery operation," he said. 

A good Samaritan jumped into the water to try to help the children, but was unable to reach them due to the depth of the water and the current.

Overnight and early Thursday morning, several community members were seen with flashlights, forming their own search parties.

Many families out scouring the riverbanks this morning say the thought of the little girl still unaccounted for left them distraught.   

"We can't sleep. We're anticipating the news on what's going on with this little girl. It's breaking our hearts to not know what's happening, and we're just hoping for the best," one woman said.