Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Boy, 6, ‘unlikely to be found alive’
A SIX-YEAR-OLD boy who was swept away after falling into a river is “unlikely” to be found alive, the police officer leading the search has said.
Lucas Dobson slipped into the River Stour in Sandwich, Kent, on Saturday afternoon, while on a fishing trip with family members.
Superintendent Amanda Tillotson from Kent Police said more than 100 members of the emergency services and some 200 volunteers have been taking part in what she said is a “massive operation”.
She said: “I’ve just come from speaking to the family myself, and they wish to pass on their absolute gratitude for everybody, and they’re overwhelmed at the amount of people that have come out to help and search for Lucas.”
Asked how likely a positive outcome is, she said: “Obviously as time has gone on now I think it is unlikely, unfortunately.
“But it is really important that we continue to search for Lucas and continue to do that for the family, and my heart goes out to them, it really does.”
She said the search team was working hard to “find Lucas as quickly as we can for the family”, adding: “This is an awful, tragic incident.”
Ms Tillotson said there are dive units searching the river area, along with specialists from other agencies.
Emergency services were called to Richborough Road at about 1.20pm on Saturday, Kent Fire and Rescue Service said.
Lucas’s aunt Maciee Stanford, 18, said the boy’s father jumped into the water after he fell between a jetty and a boat, but “the current was too strong, he had already gone”.