HEROIC ACT
Dad of missing boy, 2, jumped into River Soar in desperate attempt to rescue toddler as search continues
The man who was hospitalised was the boy's dad
THE dad of a missing two-year-old boy jumped into a fast-flowing river in a desperate attempt to rescue the toddler.
The child had been with family when he fell into the River Soar in Leicester which had flooded after heavy rain.
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The search remains ongoing with specialist teams scouring the river and the flooded fields nearby overnight.
attended the scene just after 5pm yesterday and a search and rescue operation began in Aylestone Meadows, close to Marsden Lane.
Police said a man was taken to hospital as a precaution.
Assistant Chief Constable Michaela Kerr later confirmed it was the boy's dad.
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He is said to have followed the boy into the river but was unable to retrieve him.
The child's family are being supported by specialist officers.
A dog walker who walked along the footpath near the Packhorse Bridge at around 5pm has also been asked to contact police.
ACC Kerr said: "I want to begin by extending my thoughts to the family who must be going through a very distressing time.
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"We do have specialist officers with that family and will be sharing any developments with them as they arrive.
"We have today reinforced our resources looking for that little boy.
"We have been able to secure additional support from colleagues in local regions and from national police resources.
"We are using specialist divers within the River Soar and we continue to use the helicopter and aerial technology to try and locate the little boy.
"Our priority is to make sure we find this little boy.
Our priority is to make sure we find this little boy.
Michaela Kerr
"I would like to thanks members of the public for all their support yesterday and would like to reemphasise how dangerous this area is at the moment.
"We would ask members of the public to refrain from coming back to this location.
"We have a very professional and co-ordinated search in place.
"The child was with family members at the time he went into the water and we do know that one person went into the River Soar in an attempt to try and get the child.
"But sadly at this moment we still haven't been able to find the child."
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When asked whether it was the father who went in after him, ACC Kerr replied: "Yes it is."
She continued: "All our priorities are into finding that child.
"We have specialist officers allocated to that family as I'm sure you can understand it's an awful time for that family.
"We are doing all we can to support that family at this unbelievably difficult time."
Discussing the ongoing search, she added: "It is incredibly difficult as we've had significant rainfall recently and the levels of water.
"The location he went in is Aylestone Meadows, by a tow path that runs alongside the river.
"I am confident we will find him. We are doing everything we possibly can.
"For the family, our commitment is absolutely to make sure we bring their little boy home."
Feeling completely numb
Shocked residents have since spoke of "feeling completely numb " and "just praying" the boy, who has not been identified, is found safe.
Dog-walker Christian Ewings, 31, said this morning: "There's been emergency services everywhere, all last night and this morning, we're just praying he's found.
"The family must be frantic with worry, it's every parent's worst nightmare.
"You just cannot even imagine what they are going through.
I think everyone is just completely numb at the moment.
Christian Ewings
"The river can be particularly dangerous and fast-flowing when flooded. It does get quite bad.
"Apparently some family members went into the water themselves but he'd disappeared.
"I think everyone is just completely numb at the moment."
A long-standing resident whose home overlooks Aylestone Meadows said flooding from the River Soar in recent weeks had left parts of the nature reserve in a treacherous state.
She said a helicopter had initially flown over the area for around an hour after reports a two-year-old child had gone missing and may have fallen in the river.
The resident told reporters: "It seemed to be there for a long time hovering.
"It felt as if it was above my house. The lights were on and it didn't move for about an hour or so."
The woman, who walks regularly in the area, said a nearby canal and the river sometimes "go into one" during peak flooding periods.
"It's fast flowing," she said of current conditions.
"It's been quite bad.
"It's devastating to think how they (family members) must be feeling."
Leicestershire Police yesterday said: "Our thoughts are with them at this extremely difficult time.
"We have had a number of offers of support to assist with the search and would kindly ask that people do not attend the scene due to rising water levels and safety risks.
"If anyone has any information or comes across anything that may assist officers, they are asked to contact us immediately."
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People are asked to contact 999 with information quoting incident 476:180224.
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service said police were leading the operation.
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Inside difficult search for missing toddler in fast flowing River Soar
Assistant Chief Constable Michaela Kerr confirmed Leicestershire Police have reinforced their resources in order to find the child.
She said: "I'd like to reiterate that we've got all the specialist resources that you would want in a case like this.
"Our absolute priority it to find that little boy and return him to his family."
ACC Kerr said cops are using specialist divers within the river and a helicopter equipped with aerial technology.
She asked members of the public to refrain from coming to the area to help for their own safety.
ACC Kerr continued: "We wouldn't want anything to jeopardise the best opportunity we've got of locating this little boy."
She also said river levels and recent heavy rainfall has resulted in extremely difficult search conditions.
ACC Kerr said: "That's one of the reasons why it's so important to us that we don't have members of the public attempting any search, because it does require real skill in order to do so safely.
"I am confident we will find him. We are doing everything we possibly can."
Declining to comment on how the boy had come to enter the water, ACC Kerr added: "We are still in the very early stages of the actual investigation into the circumstances.
"So it would be inappropriate of me to actually talk about the event itself.
"Our absolute priority is to find that little boy and return him to his family."
Specialist teams were deployed to the area yesterday evening, including Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service, and the operation continued overnight with force units using night vision goggles searching the area.
The National Police Air Service (NPAS) and drone unit also supported officers on the ground.
On Monday, police dogs and specialist diving teams from Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire are supporting Leicestershire officers as the search continues at the scene.
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