Mas’s body was found by a kayak in the river near Newburyport Pipers Quarry, authorities said.
“It is with great sadness that we report that the young boy’s body has been retrieved. The family has been notified and we pray that the family will be closed shortly,” Amesbury police said in a statement. .
Mas first entered the river at around 7pm on Thursday during a family fishing trip to Deer Island. His mother, Boua DeChhat, and his 7-year-old sister went into the water to try to save him, but were swept away by the current and Boua, 29, died before the couple could be reunited, authorities said. The girl survived.
The rescue operation had shifted to a recovery-focused operation on Friday.
On Deer Island, a makeshift monument to the DeChhat family had sprung up by Sunday. People left flowers and lit candles.
Authorities are continuing to search the Merrimack River in Newburyport on Friday for a missing 6-year-old boy.
The original fishing incident near Whittier Bridge
The six members of the DeChhat family, from Lowell, at the scene of the tragic accident, were fishing and swimming on Deer Island, a Merrimack River recreation area between Amesbury and Newburyport and near the Whittier Bridge, which carries Interstate 95 over the river. , officials said. Police initially said he was involved in a boat accident, but this turned out to be untrue. The father of the family, Boa’s 31-year-old husband, went to their car around 7pm to get something, when Mas fell into the water while pulling something out of it and was swept away by the current, officials said. Boa, who was not known for swimming, and her 7-year-old daughter went into the river to save him, but were also caught by the strong current, according to Massachusetts State police. The father, returning from the car, saw Boa and his daughter in the water and jumped behind them, but he could not reach them and he also had a problem. was able to return to shore. The current carried Boa and her daughter inland, under the Whittier Bridge, where a man in a boat saw them fighting and was able to pull them out, officials said. But the woman found it difficult to get on the boat and went under the water. Newburyport fire officials say the incident involved a family of six fishing on Deer Island. Boua and her mother were both taken to Anna Jacques Hospital in Newburyport. the girl was hospitalized and released, but Boa, whom rescuers found unresponsive and not breathing, was pronounced dead.
The search for the missing boy
The search focused on the section of the river where Boa and her daughter were pulled from the water, according to state police. It turned out that he was not where Mas’s body was found. The Pipers Quarry, where Mas’s body was found, is located east of Deer Island, while his mother and sister were west of the island. Deer Island is about five miles from the mouth of the Merrimack River. Newburyport Fire Chief Christopher LeClaire is giving the latest update on a fishing incident that left a woman dead and her 6-year-old son missing on the Merrimack River. The massive search for Mas, which began Thursday night, continued throughout the day on Friday, even as the focus of the mission shifted to retrieving his body. The Coast Guard stopped the searches in the afternoon. “It is always a difficult decision to suspend a search and rescue case, and even more painful when children are involved,” said Capt. Kailie Benson, Boston Coast Guard Commander. “Taking into account the extensive search efforts of the Coast Guard and the numerous state and local services, along with the conditions prevailing on the scene, I decided to suspend the search for the missing 6-year-old boy.” “Our prayers are with the boy and his mother’s family and friends during this time,” Benson added. Massachusetts State Police resumed their search Saturday after spending 10 hours searching for the boy on Friday. The search included the Coast Guard, port officials, state police, local police and fire departments from across the area, and state environmental police. The response included 10 Massachusetts State police divers and helicopters were spotted searching the area. Newburyport Fire Chief Christopher LeClaire said the search would continue until about noon on Friday, before officials reassessed it and decided whether to move from rescue to recovery. “We are continuing the investigation,” he said Friday morning. “As time goes on, the chances of recovery decrease. We believe that we will soon be in a state of recovery.” He said the strong current in the river posed challenges to the research effort. A bridge on Deer Island on the Merrimack River where rescuers were searching for a boy who went missing while fishing and swimming with his family on Thursday, June 9, 2022. LeClaire on Thursday night described the conditions on Deer Island as Mas disappeared and Boua and her daughter went into the water after him as typical, noting the fast pace of the river and the rocky ledge. “It’s quite used at this time of year. People are known to fish along the edge along deer island,” he said. Countless first responders appeared to be parked along a bridge Thursday night, with several boats in the water and state police and Coast Guard helicopters flying overhead. Investigations to locate the 6-year-old boy continue. NBC10 Boston spoke to a woman who lives nearby and said her husband also boarded his kayak Thursday afternoon to help find the child after realizing what was happening. “My husband was out here with the dog, and I thought, what did it take so long? And suddenly he screams at me, talking about a woman and cardiopulmonary resuscitation,” said Sue Bajko. “I went out and two fishermen came to our dock here in their boat and pulled the woman and her daughter out of the boat and did cardiopulmonary resuscitation.” “Paradise helps you if you fall into the river, the current can sweep you away,” said Len Johnson, an Amesbury resident who lives along the river.
