Lowell residents might see more police officers along the Merrimack River on Wednesday as the department continues its search for a 4-year-old boy who went missing in the river on Saturday.
The Lowell Police Department said there would be “an increase in public safety activity,” according to a short post shared on X.
“To ensure the safety of all involved, keep a safe distance from areas where public safety personnel are actively searching,” the department’s post read.
Police received a 911 call that a boy was in the water by the Western Canal near 300 Arcand Drive shortly before 5:45 p.m. on Saturday, Lowell police said in the statement. The preliminary investigation suggests that the boy was quickly pulled into the Merrimack River by its current.
Lowell police and firefighters responded to the call immediately, and Massachusetts State Police, UMass Lowell Police and Massachusetts Environmental Police are now aiding the ongoing search, police said. They are utilizing a dive team, an Air Wing team and drones in their efforts to locate the boy.
Firefighters in Dracut, Methuen and Lawrence have also searched downstream in the river for the boy, police said.
The investigation into how the boy ended up in the water remains ongoing.