River search suspended for 6-year-old in Columbus

COLUMBUS, Ind. (WISH) – Police and fire authorities used boats, drones and a helicopter Thursday to search for a missing 6-year-old boy in the East Fork of the White River. 

The search, which continued beyond sundown before it was suspended, was expected to resume early Friday morning. 

Authorities said the boy was wearing Spider-Man swimming trunks that are possibly red. The search began around 3 p.m. Thursday. 

His family on Thursday night identified the boy as Brendan Sperry.

The child is believed to have gone into the water upriver from a low-head dam near Upland Columbus Pump House, a restaurant and pub at 148 Lindsey St. 

The boy was with his mother and two girls playing on a sandbar on the river vista and overlook in downtown Columbus when he ventured too far into the water, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources said. The boy was swept away by the river, which has a current that is stronger than usual due to recent heavy rains. An initial investigation revealed family members attempted to rescue the child, but efforts were unsuccessful. 

The sandbar area is frequently used by fishermen and sunbathers — access is from the west side of Mill Race Park near the restrooms. 

Mill Race Park, a downtown park where the Indiana Department of Natural Resources was launching boats, has been closed. Media were being directed to the entrance to the park to await briefings from searchers. The Republic, a news partner with WISH-TV, said on its website that an Indiana State Police helicopter was also being used for the search. Marion County’s Wayne Township Fire Department said its drone were also being used in the search. 

A Department of Natural Resources report said 29 people 12 and younger drowned in 2017 in Indiana. Most of those drownings were in private ponds and pools.