10-year-old Boy Drowns In A River

2024 Author: Steven Freeman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 08:15

Connecticut authorities located the body of a 10-year-old boy who fell into the muddy waters of the Branford River while playing with his brothers this weekend.

According to various sources, Ben Callahan fell into the swampy river around 1:00 p.m. Friday when he was with his brothers Cooper and Scout Callahan. Apparently, the boy lost his balance and slipped falling into the water. Although his brothers tried to rescue him, they did not succeed because the boy was sucked into a conduit that moves water from one place to another within the river.

At around 2:00 pm, authorities responded to the distress call by reporting the boy's disappearance in the river, which is located in the Long Island Sound, and immediately began a search that included the Coast Guard corps and the local police, who used drones and sonar to locate the minor.

"They were playing on the side of the road near the drainage channel," Branford County Police Captain Geoff Morgan told the WFSB station. "One of them lost his balance and was dragged by the pipe that goes under the water."

Three hours later, according to AP agency reports, police confirmed that they had located the boy's body about 500 feet from where he had disappeared.

"This is a tragic event, the loss of a young member of the community," said Morgan.

On the day of his death, Hamlet Hernández, superintendent of the Branford School District, issued a statement lamenting the young man's death. “Today, a 10-year-old boy attending the Branford Public Schools School District tragically lost his life. The student's name is kept private out of respect for the family. Our hearts are broken and our thoughts and prayers are with the family. The school district is making arrangements with bereavement counselors to help children experiencing difficulties with their partner's tragic death,”said the school official.

"[Ben] leaves behind his beloved parents, Dave and Paula and his 2 brothers, Cooper and Scout," he told himself on a GoFundMe page set up to raise funds for the boy's funeral. “The family shared an inseparable bond with each other. Ben was a loving boy, strong, caring, and out of the ordinary, with a big heart and a smile. He excelled in every sport he practiced and was 100 percent dedicated to it, always.”