Missing 3-year-old dies after being found in Wolf River

NEW LONDON, Wis. (WBAY) – A 3-year-old boy was found in the Wolf River Monday morning after traveling four blocks from his home, according to New London Police Chief Joshua Wilson.

The child was reported missing around midnight near the 1000 block of W. Beacon Avenue, near the middle school. He was found hours later in the river upstream near downtown, about a 15-minute walk for an adult.

The boy was taken to ThedaCare-New London hospital. His condition is unknown.

Police confirmed the child was found in the Wolf River upstream near downtown. It is not known exactly where he went into the river. It is possible he went into the river closer to home and was moved by the current.

Witnesses reported a heavy law enforcement presence around 7 a.m.

A 3-year-old who went missing from his home overnight was found upstream in the Wolf River in downtown New London(WBAY)

Search efforts

John Faucher, owner of Johnny’s Little Shop of Bait, said he noticed a heavy police presence with drones in his business’s parking lot when he arrived at work around 6 a.m. and quickly realized something was seriously wrong.

“We noticed some drones and a higher police presence,” Faucher said. “And then there was an Amber Alert shortly after. And of course, then we knew what the police presence was for.”

Faucher said he and his staff joined in the search effort after receiving the alert for a missing child. Officers rushed off after word came in the child had been found.

“We saw drones. We saw lots of county squads, city squads,” Faucher said. “I think we had a lot of inter agency support from other communities here in town. Being right here, so close to the middle school, there was a lot of that presence right here, right away in the morning. Before it even got light out, there were teams out looking.”

River conditions

Faucher said recent flooding concerns along the Wolf River have some businesses preparing for more rain, with water levels now above 10 feet. The conditions on the Wolf River are not normal for this time of year.

“It hit up to 10.26 feet, which is getting pretty close to where we get really nervous,” Faucher said. “We’re sandbagging here, just because we know it probably could come back up.”

Faucher said even when the river appears calm on the surface, it doesn’t always tell the full story. The current is strong and water levels are higher than normal following recent rain.

“It doesn’t look dangerous, but this is pretty dangerous current level for even healthy people,” Faucher said. “Definitely don’t recommend being anywhere around it without life jackets. You can pinch your hands in docks and different things, and things appear slowly when they’re floating down towards you, but they come with pretty good momentum at 10,000 cubic feet per second.”

Faucher said the danger is always present for those living near the river.

“Years ago, when my wife and I got married, she specifically didn’t want to have a place on the river, because there’s always a risk,” he said. “No matter how vigilant you are, there’s always a risk. It only takes a few seconds for a child that doesn’t have a life jacket to go in the water.”