Kansas City, Kansas, Fire Department crews conducted a secondary recovery search for an 11-year-old drowning victim today, according to a spokesman for the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department.
A drowning was reported on Saturday near I-435 and Woodend in Wyandotte County, according to police, and a rescue and recovery effort was also conducted then.
Three Fire Department rescue boat teams searched the Kansas River from Kaw Point to the Kansas River Dam or the last point of contact, the spokesman stated. Recovery efforts began at 10 a.m. and ended at 3 p.m. today.
Police stated the area searched today included multiple miles of riverfront with specific attention to inlets and debris fields. At this time, the victim has not been located, the spokesman stated.
Helping in the six-hour search rescue and recovery efforts on Saturday were four Kansas City, Kansas, Fire Department rescue boat teams, the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department helicopter and the Overland Park Police Department dive team with sonar search capabilities.
Assisting with the five-hour rescue and recovery efforts on Sunday were three Kansas City, Kansas, Fire Department rescue boat teams, according to the spokesman.
On Saturday, the spokesman stated that a family was playing near a sand bar in the river around 3:33 p.m. Saturday when 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 drowning is under investigation by the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Bureau. Anyone with information is encouraged to call the TIPS hotline at 816-474-TIPS, according to police.