Update: At 8:15 a.m. this morning, rescue crews reconvened at the Yellow River Park to resume search efforts for the missing four-year-old male victim reported on March 25, 2023.

 Three boats were deployed into the river and worked with teams on the riverbanks to begin a grid search from the location in the river where witnesses placed the victim last downstream towards the Annistown Road bridge. Search teams located a pediatric male that matched the description provided by the mother at 10:39 a.m. this morning. The body was removed from the water and turned over to the Gwinnett County Medical Examiner’s Office for investigation. Please refer all future media inquiries regarding this incident to the Gwinnett County Medical Examiner’s Office.

 Original: (Stone Mountain, Ga., Mar. 25, 2023) - At 5:41 p.m. this afternoon, firefighters responded to a report of a river rescue at Yellow River Park located at 3050 Juhan Road SW in Stone Mountain. The caller notified 911 that a small child was floating down the river and unable to get out. 

Firefighters arrived on the scene at 5:47 p.m. and met with the victim's mother. The mother said she was near the river with her child when she noticed he was missing around 5:30 p.m. The mother told firefighters she saw her son briefly before he disappeared beneath the river's surface. The mother provided the description of a four-year-old African American male wearing black sweatpants and no other clothing. Her son was not wearing a Personal Flotation Device (PFD).  

Firefighters equipped with PFDs and rescue ropes began to search the riverbanks. Dekalb County Fire Rescue also responded to the scene and searched from the Annistown Road bridge north on the Yellow River, toward the park. Meanwhile, Gwinnett County crews searched downriver from the park toward the Annistown Road bridge. Upon arrival at the scene, the Swiftwater Rescue Team deployed an inflatable marine vessel into the river to begin a search.

Multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) were deployed by Gwinnett County Fire & Emergency Services, Gwinnett County Police Department, and Dekalb County Fire Rescue to locate the missing child. A Gwinnett County Police helicopter, equipped with Forward-looking infrared (FLIR) cameras also responded to the incident, providing additional reconnaissance support. Search efforts continued until 8:00 p.m. when operations were halted due to diminished visibility and increased safety risks. Gwinnett County Police confirmed that they would continue aerial search efforts until 1:00 a.m. on March 26. Search crews contacted the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Gwinnett County Emergency Management (EMA), and Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation for additional resources and consultation. Efforts to locate the missing child will resume when conditions improve. This incident remains active.

EQUIPMENT AT THE SCENE INCLUDED: 2- Engines, 2- Ladder Trucks, 2- Med Units, 1- Swiftwater Rescue Team, 1-Hazardous Materials Unit, 1- Rescue, 1- Command Staff Vehicle, and 1- PIO.

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