Rescuers did not find 6-year-old Brendan Sperry on Friday, after searching the river overlook area in Mill Race Park and the downstream river area all day.
After two days of using sonar and divers in an attempt to locate the boy, Indiana Department of Natural Resources said Friday night they will suspend the underwater search, said DNR spokesman Mark Baker.
On Saturday, the DNR along with Columbus first responders, will continue a surface search on the river with boats, along with a continuing search of the river banks, he said.
When the water levels go down, the underwater searches will resume, Baker said. DNR officials are unsure when that will happen as the earlier heavy rainfall across the state from this week continues to flow into the area, affecting the current and depth of the East Fork White River and Flatrock River, which come together at the overlook where the boy disappeared at 3 p.m. Thursday.
Sperry was playing on a sandbar in the overlook area on the riverfront in Mill Race Park Thursday with his mother, two sisters and a brother and his cousin, when he ventured further into the river and got caught in the current, searchers said.
The cousin grabbed the boy by his swimming trunks, but the current caused her to go underwater and in a panic, she let go of Sperry, who was swept away in the current.
Since the incident, DNR boats with sonar, DNR divers, Bartholomew County Sheriff deputies and water rescue team, Columbus police and firefighters and other first responders from around the state have been searching for the boy.
The family has maintained a vigil in Mill Race Park as searchers continue to look for the boy.
The DNR released some statistics about the search so far:
- Hours searching on Friday: 13 hours
- Boats on the water: Five, including three from the DNR, a Lawrence County hovercraft and the Bartholomew County airboat. Two sonar units were used from the DNR.
- Drivers in the water: Eight, including four from the DNR, two from the Indiana State police and two from Bartholomew County.
- Length of search area: Below surface search focused on an area from the point of entry to about 300 yards downstream, using sonar, video and divers working from the bank and from boats working on a static line across the river. The surface search included both riverbanks and covered about a half-mile.
- Indiana State Police have searched with a helicopter and the Indiana Department of Homeland Security has checked the banks using search dogs.
For more on this story, see Saturday’s Republic or check back here throughout the weekend.
