LOWELL, Mass. — Family and friends of 4-year-old Azriel Lopez-Fontanez were still searching for him Sunday night, more than 24 hours after he was swept away by the Merrimack River in Lowell.,
Joan Lopez Contreras, his father, spoke to Boston 25 Sunday night with the help of a translator.
“He can’t describe how he feels,” said Andrickson Melendez, translating for Contreras. “Super bad.”
The father and his friends gathered on the banks of the Merrimack River in Andover Sunday night, hoping to find his son 9 miles downstream from where he went in.
Contreras told Boston 25 his son was fishing with his mother near Arcand Drive Saturday night before slipping into the water and going under.
“He was a happy kid,” said the father through his translator. “He liked to run.”
Local and state police scoured the river near the Western Canal in Lowell Saturday night into Sunday morning. Authorities haven’t provided an update on the search since Sunday afternoon.
Friends and neighbors of the family searched the waterline alongside emergency crews early Sunday morning.
“It’s tough,” said neighbor Johnny Velez. “I heard that the mother saw when the current was taking him... That child is just starting life.”
The boy’s father and loved ones were stationed along the river Sunday night, still searching for the 4-year-old boy.
They told Boston 25 they’ll be gathering in Merrimack Monday morning to continue their search.
Contreras finished through his translator, “We want this to be over. We want to find him... Today it’s happening to [me]. But, in any situation, it can happen to another family, and they need help.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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