A third day has passed since the beginning of the search for Zy’Jae St. Pierre, a young kid of five years old who was reported missing after falling into the Genesee River on Sunday afternoon.
The hunt for the youngster has been transformed into a “recovery mission,” according to the announcement made by the Chief of Police of Rochester, David Smith. Wednesday is the day that the RPD dive team will be back out on the river.
On Tuesday afternoon, a prayer vigil was conducted on the Andrews Street Bridge, which is the location where Zy’Jae went into the sea. The event attracted hundreds of people who released balloons, lit candles, and prayed for the youngster and his family.
It was Bishop Jeffrey Melvin who made the statement, “We do not know them personally, but they are a part of our community.”
Tuesday evening, Chief Smith provided an update on the situation. At this point in time, we are conducting a recovery operation. “All we are doing is trying to find Zy’Jae and bring him back to his family so that they can finally have some peace of mind,” Smith added.
An extensive search of the Genesee River, including the basin of High Falls, has been conducted by first responders.
They collaborated with RG&E on Tuesday to restrict the flow of water from the Mount Morris Dam in order to assist divers in their search. Furthermore, they brought the flow of water at High Falls to a point where it was almost completely stopped.
“We have been working with RG&E to gain approval to reduce the water flow in the river from the Mount Morris Dam,” Smith said. “Given that we have been working with them since yesterday.” We tried all of these different approaches, but unfortunately, we were still unable to find Zy’Jae.
The youngster was reportedly in a stroller with his mother and younger sister when he raced ahead of them, climbed over the railing, and fell around fifty feet. according to the police. While the boy’s mother was attempting to reach her son by running down the river, she was unable to get past the barriers in time to save him.
“A video is available. A video has been viewed by me. According to Smith, this did take place. In addition, I hope to God that none of you be required to see the video.
On behalf of the family, Mayor Malik Evans requested the community to show their support. Evans asked the membership of the community to remember this family in their prayers and thoughts. I believe that if you were present at the balloon release, you witnessed hundreds of members of the community coming out to express their support to the family by saying, “Hey, we are here for you.”
The Rochester Police Department has requested that boaters and fisherman remain careful and examine Zy’Jae’s face since it is possible that this individual might be located by anyone. It is requested that anyone who has information that could be of assistance phone 911.
