The body of an 11-year-old girl who was pulled under the current of the Kansas River near I-435 and Woodend on Saturday has been discovered today along the river bank in the Turner Diagonal area.
According to a Kansas City, Kansas, police spokesman, the girl was identified as Rebecca Van Sui Par of Kansas City, Kansas.
Rescue crews were searching earlier today along the Kansas River, and a call came in about 5:30 p.m. Monday from a boater who believed he had spotted her, the spokesman said.
Fire rescue crews launched boats again and retrieved the body around 6:14 p.m. under the Turner Bridge on the river’s western bank, according to the spokesman.
The drowning was reported about 3:33 p.m. Saturday, as a family was playing near a sand bar in the river, police said. The girl ran after a beach ball and was sucked under the current. Three persons with her tried to save her, but had to be rescued themselves, according to police.
The Kansas City, Kansas, Fire Department crews, with the help of other agencies, conducted searches on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, changing to search and recovery on Sunday and Monday.
According to police, the preliminary investigation indicated an accidental drowning, but the case will remain under investigation by the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department’s Detectives Unit pending autopsy results.