Missing boy found dead nearly 2 weeks after being swept away by Merrimack River

TEWKSBURY, Mass. — A young boy who was swept away after falling into the mighty Merrimack River last month was found dead on Friday morning, authorities said.

Azriel Lopez, 4, slipped and fell into the water while fishing with his mother and siblings in Lowell in the area of Arcand Drive on April 19, sparking an exhaustive search that spanned nearly two weeks.

An off-duty state trooper who was on the river in his personal boat found a body in the water near the Trull Brook Golf Course in Tewksbury around 9 a.m., Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan, Lowell Police Superintendent Greg Hudon, and Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoffrey Noble announced in a joint news release.

Divers responded to the water and recovered the body and “tentatively” identified the remains as those of Azriel Lopez.

“This is the hardest moment that we’re going to have to overcome, since we finally found him,” said Linda Lopez, Azriel’s aunt. “He’s here now, and we’re able to give him a proper burial and get the closure that we finally need.”

Methuen Police Chief Scott McNamara first confirmed to Boston 25’s Bob Ward that the child’s body was pulled from the river.

“We’re in the midst of a recovery operation. The body of a young child has been found in the river in Tewksbury,” McNamara said. “The boats that are involved in that recovery operation are being launched here at the Methuen boat ramp.”

Dive and boat teams from multiple Merrimack Valley communities, along with the Massachusetts State Police, had been scouring the river since the boy’s disappearance.

“A lot of time and effort expended, but all for the purpose of trying to give the family the closure they most certainly deserve,” McNamara said.

Family friend Nathanael Vargas, who waded into the river and helped comb the shoreline from Lawrence to Lowell to Andover, warned of the sheer strength and danger of the river’s mighty current.

“We got some deep spots, shallow spots, we got rocky stretches. It’s dangerous work,” Vargas told Boston 25 last month. “It’s very dangerous. Right by the dam, they have signs saying be careful, it’s a rapid current. You can easily get swept in.”

McNamara added that the tragic conclusion to the search is something that will impact all of the first responders who were involved.

“Whenever something tragic like this happens to a young child, it’s profoundly difficult, particularly for the officers who found the young boy,” McNamara explained.

The State Medical Examiner’s Office will take custody of the body and work to make a positive identification.

Several dozen people have been swept into the Merrimack River over the years, with most not surviving. In 2022, a six-year-old boy drowned, along with his mother, as she tried to rescue him. A kayaker found the boy’s body four days after he fell in.

Investigators noted that foul play isn’t suspected in the death of Azriel Lopez.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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