Aug 14, 2008 11:05 am US/Eastern
Search For NYC Girl Continues Along Niagara River
12-Year-Old Bronx Native Swept Away By Fast Moving Waters After Slipping Off Rock On Church Retreat
By CBS 2's Carolyn Costello
NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (CBS) ―
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Search crews are in a desperate search for a Bronx girl who was swept away in an instant on Wednesday.
CBS
A 12-year-old girl from the Bronx is still missing Thursday morning after she was swept away by the raging rapids of the Niagara River.
Authorities haven't released the little girl's name, but officials know she is a Bronx native visiting Niagara Falls with a New York City Church group.
The group was on a hike with the group Wednesday afternoon when the teen slipped, falling into an especially treacherous section of the river, an area known for its boulders, whirlpools and swift-moving currents.
Authorities say she was hiking with the group when she left the designated trail, walked to the river's edge and slipped into the water. She was gone in an instant.
"These people go out on the trail and don't know the area…they don't know the geography of it," said Niagara Falls Fire Department Chief Bill Mackay.
Authorities have continued the search non-stop since her disappearance Wednesday afternoon.
According to local sources, other hikers on the trail saw the girl just after she had fallen in. But within moments, she was swept 75 feet out from the river's banks before being pulled under. It took 15 minutes, authorities say, for rescue boats to pinpoint the area where the girl fell in.
Word of the tragic accident spread throughout the tourist populated region quickly.
"It's just horrible. I can't imagine what the parents must be feeling," said visitor Ralph Ferriani.
Despite the hours of frantic searching, there's still no sign of the girl. Authorities are waiting to release her name, pending the notification of her relatives.
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