A 10-year-old saved his sister as they struggled in a New Jersey river before he died, mayor says

by: KATHY McCORMACK, Associated Press Posted: Jul 30, 2026 / 10:22 AM PDT Updated: Jul 30, 2026 / 10:25 AM PDT One child has died and another is missing after the two 10-year-olds went into a rain-swollen river while playing in a park in Passaic, New Jersey, on Wednesday, authorities said. An 11-year-old survived, the sister of the 10-year-old boy who drowned. “He put his hand on her head, trying to get up above the water, and he may have inadvertently saved her life without even knowing,” Passaic Mayor Hector Lora told reporters Thursday. As she went underwater, she felt rocks, Lora said. The other 10-year-old, a girl, was still missing early Thursday.

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