The search for the child will resume Monday.
SOUTH HADLEY – After two days of intensive searching, law enforcement officers are reporting a 5-year-old who fell into the Connecticut River Saturday night is presumed dead.
Police and firefighters will resume the search for the child’s body Monday.
“Every indication is that this incident is a tragic accident with no foul play,” Northwestern District Attorney David E. Sullivan said in a written statement.
The girl, who is the youngest member of a California family visiting relatives, fell off a dock near a moored boat at a home on Cove Island Road. The family had gathered at the residence to watch a fireworks display.
The accident happened at about 9:15 p.m. Several adults immediately jumped into the Connecticut River to try to rescue the girl while others called police, but no one was able to locate her.
A number of dive teams from state and local police departments as well as the Massachusetts State Police Air Wing searched Saturday night and all day Sunday to find the child. South Hadley police and state police were the first to respond and start the search Saturday.
The State Police Dive Team said the search has been more difficult because recent rains have made the current in the Connecticut River stronger and faster than usual.