LOWELL, Mass. — Authorities are continuing to scour the mighty Merrimack River for a young boy who was swept away after falling into the water over the weekend.
Azriel Lopez-Fontanez, 4, slipped and fell into the water while fishing with his mother and siblings on Saturday in Lowell in the area of Arcand Drive.
The Lowell Police Department on Wednesday morning warned the public that there would be “an increase in public safety activity on the Merrimack River” amid the ongoing search for Lopez-Fontanez.
“To ensure the safety of all involved, keep a safe distance from areas where public safety personnel are actively searching,” the department wrote in a Facebook post.
Earlier this week, the boy’s father, Joan Lopez Contreras, joined first responders at Riverfront State Park to help wade in the water to look for his son.
“This moment, I [am] just praying, and hope, you know, asking God to keep me strong and to be here. And we hope we can find him alive,” Contreras told Boston 25 News through an interpreter.
Lowell first responders have been relentlessly scouring the rushing water for days alongside agencies from Methuen, Dracut, North Andover, and Andover.
In addition to divers, boaters, and ATV riders, the Massachusetts State Police Drone Unit and Airwing teams have also been assisting in the search.
Lawrence Police Chief Millix Bonilla said everyone involved in the search has been “suffering” as they pray for the boy’s “safe return.”
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