The body of Mas DeChhat, the missing six-year-old boy who fell into the Merrimack River, was found on Sunday, authorities confirmed. The boy's mother, Boua DeChhat, 29, died days earlier after swimming into the river's rapid current to save Mas and her seven-year-old daughter, who survived the incident.
The boy's body was found by a kayaker, Darin Kelsey, in the river near Newburyport's Pipers Quarry. Kelsey then called 911, WHDH 7 News reports.
Kelsey said he was expecting that the body was caught up in the reeds and not that he would find it in the middle of the river. With all the crews and boats out there, he was shocked that he came upon the little boy.
In a statement, Amesbury police, which was part of the search, said that the family has been notified and is praying that finding Mas will give them some closure.
A family tragedy
The family went on a fishing trip on Deer Island on Thursday. The father, 31, went to their car at 7 P.M. to get something. At the same time, Mas fell into the water while reaching for something and was swept by the current. His mother, Boua, and 7-year-old sister also got into the river to save him, but they were carried away by the strong current, NBC Boston reports.
The current carried Boua and her daughter inland, under the Whittier Bridge. A person in a boat saw them struggling and was able to pull them out. However, the woman had trouble hoisting herself into the boat and went underwater. The girl survived, but the mom died before she was pulled out of the water.
The girl and her mother were taken to Anna Jacques Hospital in Newburyport, where the girl was treated and released. However, rescuers found the mother unresponsive and not breathing, and she was later pronounced dead.
The search for the missing boy
Since Thursday, authorities have searched for the missing boy, focusing on the part of the river where Boua and her daughter were pulled out. However, Mas' body was found in Piper's Quarry, which is on the east of Deer Island. His mother and sister were found on the west side of the Island.
According to Boston 25 News, the search began on Thursday night and extended into Friday, with the focus of the mission shifting from rescue to recovering the boy's body.
Coast guard, harbormasters, state and local police, fire departments from around the region, and the state environmental police were involved in the search mission. The response also included 10 Massachusetts Police divers. Helicopters were also hovering over the area.
Newburyport Fire Chief Christopher LeClaire said that the river's strong current posed a major challenge in the search effort.
On Deer Island, a makeshift memorial was set on Sunday where people were leaving flowers and lighting candles for the family.
According to Kelsey, anyone familiar with the river can relate to how scary it is. Hearing the helicopter over their houses for days was just awful. He added that several policemen came to thank him for finding the boy and giving everyone closure.
After aggressively searching for days, the rescue team expressed their deepest sympathies and condolences to the family.
