NEW ORLEANS — The U.S. Coast Guard said that fast moving, strong currents on the Mississippi River is among several factors for why the agency ended its search for three missing children who were swept into the river.
The USCG ended its search and rescue operations after searching 93 miles along the Mississippi River for more than 55 hours. Coast Guard Sector New Orleans commander Capt. Kelly Denning said he made "the difficult decision" to suspend the search after the "extensive search efforts."
Denning said that some of the many factors considered before ending a search include:
- Confidence in the effectiveness of the search,
- On scene conditions,
- The safety and capability of search and rescue units,
- The circumstances in which the individuals entered the water,
- The physical characteristics and capabilities of the individuals,
- and if they were wearing or had access to protective clothing or safety equipment such as a personal flotation device or life ring
"Regardless of the situation, suspending an active search for missing persons is a difficult one that is only made after careful evaluation and consideration," Denning said, adding that the USCG is ready to resume a search if "new information becomes available or there's a change in circumstances."
Family members say two sisters, Brandy and Ally Wilson, as well as Brandy's 15-year-old boyfriend, took their 5-year-old brother to a park near the Crescent City Connection Bridge in New Orleans. At the park, 14-year-old Brandy Wilson slipped on a piling near the water's edge and fell into the Mississippi River around 5 p.m. Saturday.
Her boyfriend and 8-year-old sister went into the water to rescue her, but all three children were pulled down by the current and have not been seen since. The younger brother then ran home to get help.
Allen Barry, the girls' father, told the Times-Picayune | New Orleans Advocate that Saturday was the first time that the girls were allowed to leave the home on their own. He said that the girls' were allowed to leave because their mother, who suffers from a heart condition, had to go to the hospital.
"I need my kids. They know I need them," Octavia Wilson, the girls' mother said. "My daughter said she was trying to give me a break. I don't need a break, I need my children."
Family members said the USCG attempted to get a dive team into the river on Sunday, but rainy weather made the search difficult. The USCG said the temperature of the Mississippi River waters was 62°F, and the water measured around 12 feet at the Army Corps of Engineer's Carrolton River Gauge. Denning said that at that height, the river often has faster, stronger currents which is amplified in areas like Algiers Point, just south of the Crescent City Bridge.
"The Mississippi River can be exceptionally dangerous with fast and unpredictable currents, varying water heights and is used continuously by large commercial vessels," Denning said.
While the USCG ended its search, divers with other local law enforcement agencies including the New Orleans Police Department and private businesses are continuing the search hoping to give the family some bit of closure.
Shwron Johnson, the girls' aunt, said that the family has lost hope that the children will be found alive. They're just hoping that they can give them a proper burial.
"I know that they are not breathing in that water. I just hope that they could get their bodies back all in one part so we can do the proper things and give them a proper service," Johnson said. "That's the only hope we have."
Family and friends gathered on Monday evening for a ballooon release near the levee where the children were last seen.
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