Mom dies after jumping into river to try to save her kids, Massachusetts officials say

UPDATE: The 6-year-old boy was found dead days after he vanished underwater, police said.

A mom jumped into a Massachusetts river to try to save two of her children and never resurfaced, officials told news outlets.

A mom and dad took their four children on a family fishing trip in Newburyport on Thursday, June 9, the Amesbury Fire Department told NBC Boston.

Two of the kids, a 6-year-old boy and 7-year-old girl, went into the Merrimack River, Boston 25 News reported. Their mom went into the water to help them and lifted her daughter back onto a boat that came over to assist.

However, she wasn’t able to get herself back up and vanished underwater, WHDH reported. Rescuers found the mom unresponsive and started CPR, according to NBC Boston.

She was taken to a hospital where she died, officials told the news outlet.

The 6-year-old boy was still missing as of June 10, according to Massachusetts State Police. A large search is underway, according to WHDH.

He is the only family member who is unaccounted for, Boston 25 News reported.

“We know that we are still searching for a 6-year-old boy so we will continue to search until we’ve exhausted all possibilities,” Newburyport Fire Chief Christopher LeClaire told NBC Boston.

Officials have not publicly disclosed the woman and children’s names.

This story was originally published June 10, 2022 at 11:40 AM with the headline "Mom dies after jumping into river to try to save her kids, Massachusetts officials say."