“The witnesses said they saw her go under and not resurface,” said Delran Fire Department Deputy Chief Kevin Peak
NEED TO KNOW
- A woman is missing after she saved a girl from a river in Delran, N.J., and never resurfaced on Monday, Aug. 24
- Bystanders were able to pull the child to safety, but her rescuer disappeared in the fast-moving water
- The search continued at dawn the next day
The search for a missing woman has entered its second day after she jumped into a New Jersey river to save a girl from drowning, only to be swept away herself.
On Monday, Aug. 24, just before 4:00 p.m. local time, police officers were dispatched to Amico Island Park along the Delaware River in Delran following a report of two possible drowning victims, the Delran Police Department said in an alert.
When the officers arrived, they learned that a woman had entered the river to attempt to rescue a girl in distress.
“The woman was able to push the girl towards the shore, where bystanders pulled her safely from the water,” officials said.
But the woman, who has not been publicly identified by name, went underwater and didn’t resurface.
Her disappearance prompted an urgent search effort that has continued into the next day.
“The witnesses said they saw her go under and not resurface,” Delran Fire Department Deputy Chief Kevin Peak told NJ.com. “In addition, her family has not heard from her.”
The agency is one of seven departments actively searching for the woman. On Monday, rescue teams searched for hours along the rocky shoreline and have been following the tide, ABC affiliate WPVI reported.
There is a powerful undercurrent in the area, the outlet reported. Swimming is not permitted on the island, according to the Burlington County Board of Commissioners.
While crews had to pause on Monday night, the search began again at dawn on Tuesday, Aug. 25, according to WPVI.
Credit: Burlington County Parks
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As of midmorning on Tuesday, the search for the missing person is ongoing, a spokesperson for the Delran Police Department confirmed to PEOPLE. She was unable to confirm if the missing woman and the girl she saved are related.
“Amico Island Park will remain closed to visitors while the search continues,” police said in the alert on Monday.
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