Update: Body located Sunday believed to be that of 4-year-old reported missing in Yellow River

Update

At 8:15 a.m. this morning, Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services resumed the search at Yellow River Park and downstream for the missing 4-year-old boy. Three boats were deployed, working with teams on the riverbank, to perform a grid search where the young boy had last been seen by witnesses.

At 10:39 a.m. search teams located the body of a pediatric male that matched the description provided by the missing child’s mother. WCFES report that the body was removed from the water and has been turned over to the Gwinnett County Medical Examiner’s Office for investigation. 

Update

Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services announced that search crews resumed efforts at 9 a.m. Sunday morning for the 4-year-old male that went missing at the Yellow River Park on Saturday. Officials say this continues to be a rescue effort. Three boats are being launched into the river and will be a grid search down the river from the park in conjunction with ground search crews. Gwinnett County Police and Department of Natural Resources are assisting with the search. Current weather conditions are preventing the use of helicopters and UAVs.

Initial Story

(STONE MOUNTAIN, GA – March 26, 2023) – Crews from Gwinnett County Fire and Rescue and Dekalb County Fire had to pause search operations for a missing child overnight due to deteriorating conditions and safety concerns. The child was allegedly last seen in the Yellow River at about 5:30 p.m. Saturday.

Crews had responded to the scene at Yellow River Park in Stone Mountain at about 5:41 p.m. on March 25 after a caller reported to 911 that a small child was seen floating down the river, unable to get out.

According to a press release from Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services, “multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) were deployed by Gwinnett County Fire & Emergency Services, Gwinnett County Police Department, and Dekalb County Fire Rescue to locate the missing child. A Gwinnett County Police helicopter, equipped with Forward-looking infrared (FLIR) cameras also responded to the incident, providing additional reconnaissance support.”

When crews arrived the mother told them she was near the river with her child when she noticed that he was missing. She said she saw her son briefly before he disappeared beneath the river’s surface. He is described as a 4-year-old African American child who was just wearing sweatpants.

However, operations were suspended at about 8 p.m. due to diminished visibility and increased safety risks.