The body of a missing girl was found in the River Thames in England. She had fallen into the river with a young boy the day before their rescue on Saturday, May 31. According to Kent Police, officers were alerted that two children were having difficulty swimming in the river around 1:46 PM on Friday.
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Body Recovered From River Of Missing Girl
Emergency responders arrived at the scene near Royal Pier Road to find a boy. The rescuers included Patrols, H.M. Coastguard, the RNLI, and South East Coast Ambulance Service. After retrieving him from the water, they transferred him to a local hospital, where he remains in stable condition.
While they managed to save the boy, they still had yet to find the other missing child. They suspended the search for the girl that night, but Kent Police’s Marine Unit and H.M. Coastguard continued looking for her the following day.
It took until 11:40 AM until they were able to find and recover the young girl’s body. They found her near Gravesend with assistance from the RNLI. Since the grim discovery, police have identified the missing girl by her next of kin.
At this moment, the authorities are not treating the death as suspicious. We’re still awaiting a report from the coroner to find out how she died.
Identities Of Two Children Found In River
According to Kent Online, we know the girl to be a nine-year-old called “Bia” through social media. Her heartbroken family members, believed to hail from Romania, described her as a “beautiful angel.” They also said she “had her whole life ahead of her.
Meanwhile, they believe the hospitalized boy to be seven years old. Two men had allegedly jumped into the river to save him once they spotted him. The outlet also believed that these two children were cousins.
The cousins were allegedly playing near the River Thames when the girl slipped and fell in. According to a spokesman from the nearby Gravesend Rowing Club, one rescuer used a life ring to swim out and retrieve the boy. Unfortunately, they lost sight of the girl before they could help her.
Gravesham MP Dr. Lauren Sullivan shared a statement online giving condolences to the grieving family. “I am deeply saddened to hear that a body has been recovered in the search for the girl who went missing in the River Thames in Gravesend,” said Sullivan.
“I know there are many opinions circulating at this time about the circumstances surrounding this tragic event and from speaking to the authorities it is right that there is an investigation, as with all sad circumstances such as these, but at the heart of this is a family and community in grief which I hope everyone can respect.”