Body Of Missing 4-Year-Old Boy Found In MA River 2 Weeks After Disappearance

TEWKSBURY, MA — The body of a 4-year-old boy missing for two weeks was recovered from the Merrimack River in Tewksbury on Friday.

The Middlesex County District Attorney's Office said the body has been tentatively identified as Azriel Lopez of Lawrence, whose disappearance from a fall into the river on April 19 spurred a massive search.

• Rescue Teams Continue Search For Missing Child In Merrimack River

Police said no foul play is expected in the boy's death.

Officials said a lieutenant with the Massachusetts State Police located the boy's body while on the river in his personal boat near the Trull Brook Golf Course at about 9 a.m. on Friday. The Massachusetts State Police Marine Unit and Dive team responded and were able to recover the body from the river.

Immediately following reports that the child had fallen into the river, the DA's Office said multiple agencies responded to search for Lopez. That search included the Lowell Police Drone Unit and Massachusetts State Police Airwing, which used infrared to search, and the Massachusetts Environmental Police, who used sonar and side-scanning sonar.

Additional agencies that have been involved in the ongoing search for the missing boy in the Merrimack River were:

Lowell Police Patrol Division
Lowell Police Detective Division
Lowell Police Drone Unit
Lowell Police Clinician
Lowell Fire Department
Lowell Fire Department Dive Team
Massachusetts State Police Dive Team
Massachusetts State Police Drone Unit
Massachusetts State Police Air Wing
Massachusetts State Police Marine Unit
Massachusetts Environmental Police
Dracut Police Department
Tewksbury Police Department
NEMLEC Drone Unit
Middlesex District Attorney’s Office
Massachusetts Department of Fire Services
Methuen Police Department
Methuen Fire Department
Lawrence Police Department
Lawrence Police Department Marine Patrol Unit
Lawrence Fire Department
Framingham Police Department Dive Team
Boston Fire Department
Cambridge Fire Department
District
14 Fire (26 Firefighters and 5 boats launched from towns including
Lincoln, Natick, Ashland, Hudson, Westborough, Framingham, and
Hopkinton)