Missing Girl's Body Found in River After She Entered Water with Young Boy: 'A Community in Grief'
The previous day a young boy was rescued from the water and hospitalized after the two entered the river together
"At the heart of this is a family and community in grief," local politician Lauren Sullivan wrote on social mediaA missing girl's body has been found in the River Thames in England after she entered the water with a young boy the day prior.
At around 1:46 p.m. local time on Friday, May 30, Kent Police was alerted by the Port of London Authority that there were concerns about the welfare of two children who had entered the river via Royal Pier Road, Kent Police shared in a news release.
The boy, who remains in the hospital, was retrieved from the water after patrols, H.M. Coastguard, the RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) and South East Coast Ambulance Service rushed to the scene. In the evening, the search for the missing girl was suspended, but Kent Police's Marine Unit and H.M. Coastguard continued on Saturday.
They recovered her body from the river near Gravesend at around 11:40 a.m. that day with assistance from the RNLI. The child's 'death is not being treated as suspicious at this stage and a report will be prepared for the coroner,' Kent Police said. She was formally identified by her next of kin.
It's believed the girl was aged 9, while the boy is 7, local media outlet Kent Online reported. The outlet added that the pair are thought to be cousins and they were reportedly playing near the water when the girl slipped and got into difficulty.
A spokesperson for the nearby Gravesend Rowing Club said a man used a life ring to swim out and retrieve the boy, but was unable to help the girl as he lost sight of her, per Kent Online.
The boy is now at a local hospital in a 'stable condition," according to Kent Police's news release.
Gravesham MP Lauren Sullivan shared her 'deepest condolences' on the Facebook following the tragic incident.
'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 yesterday,' she wrote. 'I would like to thank emergency services, including the coastguard, Kent Police, the RNLI, and PLA many others for their efforts in the search."
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'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,' she added. 'I send my deepest condolences to the family and friends of the child, and keep them all in my thoughts at this time.'
PEOPLE has reached out to Kent Police and Gravesend Rowing Club for further information.
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