Dayton police, fire to resume search for missing 7-year-old as water levels decrease
UPDATE: 3:15 p.m.
The search for 7-year-old Lucas Rosales missing from Eastwood MetroPark continued Tuesday one day after the fire department suspended their search.
>> PHOTOS: Police, volunteers resume search for missing 7-year-old at Eastwood MetroPark
On Tuesday afternoon, Dayton Fire Capt. Brad French said provided an update on the search saying the water flow in the Mad River has nearly doubled due to recent rains, but is expected to decrease in the coming days.
According to French, the decreasing water levels will provide the opportunity for the City of Dayton Department of Water to create a temporary dam on a portion of the Mad River to facilitate additional search.
“Dayton Police and Dayton Fire crews are expected to be on site downstream of the dammed area later this week as the water level decreases,” French said.
The family of Rosales, representatives from Texas EquuSearch and volunteers from the Dayton Police Department returned to the park Tuesday to look for Lucas, according to News Center 7 crews on scene.
Lucas went missing from the park Saturday evening when he was out fishing with his family.
Lucas’ father, Agustin Rosales, and sister, Da’Najiah Wakefield, spoke to News Center 7′s Taylor Robertson at the park Monday. They said said they were fishing with Lucas Saturday. Agustin said they were warning Lucas to not too close to the water. He then left his father and sister to join other members of his family because he was being too loud and scaring the fish.
>> Formal search operations for 7-year-old missing from Eastwood MetroPark suspended
Agustin then went to go find Lucas, another daughter and a family friend and the Wakefield said they don’t really know what happened after that.
“My sister said she heard something fall and someone crying, and she said she saw splashes in the water and after that, we just don’t know,” she explained.
The search comes a day after the Dayton Fire Department suspended their search for the boy, which was transitioned to a recovery operation Monday. Dayton Fire Captain Brad French said the department didn’t have any formal operations planned for Tuesday in relation to the search.
“If any additional information becomes available, DFD command staff will re-evaluate the situation and engage resources as appropriate,” French told News Center 7.
Over the first three days of searches, more than 100 people, including multiple rescue crews, boats, trained volunteer search groups, K-9s, have searched the areas surrounding where Lucas was last seen. Detectives expanded their search Monday, but were still unable to find Lucas.
Police said Monday that foul play was not suspected in Lucas’ disappearance.
We’ll update this story as we learn more.
