Mom drowns in Merrimack River

A Massachusetts mother has died trying to rescue her children from the Merrimack River, and an allday search for her missing 6-year-old son was suspended Friday evening.

The yet- unidentified woman on Thursday night successfully hoisted her daughter, 7, to safety aboard a boat, authorities say — but the mother then drowned, and her young son’s body remained unfound following a lengthy search Friday.

By noon, hopes for a rescue were all but dashed, with first responders shifting into a recovery effort for the boy. The U.S. Coast Guard suspended the search — which stretched 228 square miles over 69 hours — at 5 p.m.

“It is always a difficult decision to suspend a searchand-rescue case, and even more painful when children are involved,” said Capt. Kailie Benson, Coast Guard Sector Boston commander.

“Considering the extensive search efforts by the Coast Guard and the numerous state and local agencies, along with on-scene conditions, I have made the difficult decision to suspend the search for the missing 6-year-old boy,” she added.

The boy is the only unaccounted member of a family that was the subject of a 911 call shortly after 7 p.m. Thursday. The caller reported an incident involving a boat or watercraft, but it was quickly determined that there was no such vessel — but rather a tragedy involving a family a family of six, two parents and their four children, who had been on land, the fire department said.

At some point, while the family was fishing on Deer Island in Newburyport, two of the children went into the water, according to the fire department.

“The mother then entered the water to retrieve the two children,” the fire department said. “A nearby fishing vessel approached and rendered assistance. The mother was able to bring a 7-year-old girl onto the boat, but was not able to hoist herself up.”

The mother went underwater and did not resurface. Rescuers pulled the unresponsive woman out of the water and performed CPR, but she was later pronounced dead at Anna Jaques Hospital. Her name has not been released.

The mother and her daughter had presumably entered the water to try to save the boy, according to State Police.

The girl was also treated at Anna Jaques Hospital. Three other family members, the father and his two other children, were taken to Seabrook Emergency Room on Thursday, the Coast Guard said.

Municipal, state and federal agencies searched for the boy throughout the night, and resumed their search at 8 a. m. Friday when the State Police Dive Team reentered the water. During the search and recovery effort, divers used sonar equipment to search for the child, fire officials said.

Family members were present throughout the search on Friday.

Half an hour after the recovery effort was suspended, rescue boats could still be seen in the water — the tragedy contrasting with what was otherwise a quiet day near the water at the Newburyport/amesbury border.

Massachusetts State Police detectives from the Essex District Attorney’s office also responded to the scene .