Police: Body of missing 7-year-old found in the Missouri River
The family said Abi was out with other family on the Missouri River when it appeared two other children were drowning. When family went to rescue them, Abi disappeared.
The family said Abi was out with other family on the Missouri River when it appeared two other children were drowning. When family went to rescue them, Abi disappeared.
The family said Abi was out with other family on the Missouri River when it appeared two other children were drowning. When family went to rescue them, Abi disappeared.
Update: Search teams found the body of missing 7-year-old Abi Gurung Thursday after he went missing at N.P. Dodge Park Tuesday.
Omaha Police said in a press conference that a fisherman's tip helped Douglas County deputies locate the body in the Missouri River under the I-680 bridge. It happened just before deputies called off their search Thursday.
The fisherman spotted something he believed belonged to a child, according to police. An Omaha Police spokesperson says the tip led to Abi's body, but couldn't specify what that object was.
"[The fisherman] didn't know what exactly he saw," officer Phil Anson said. "He just advised officers that he had seen an item in the water that may have belonged to a small child and that's when the deputy search team acted on that information."
Police say no foul play is suspected. N.P. Dodge Park reopened Friday morning.
The Gurung family says they're planning on a funeral ceremony where Buddhist monks will pray over Abi's body before cremation.
"We want no one to go to the Missouri River because this is very dangerous," Abi's uncle Bhim Gurung said.
A family friend who helped console the Gurungs described the loss.
"[Abi] was a U.S. citizen born in America, and they worked hard for him to grow up."
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Officers told KETV Newswatch 7 that one person has come forward in regards to Abi Gurung's disappearance. Investigators did not clarify what information was provided.
Officials say they are still looking for two fishermen who could have seen where Abi disappeared to. They are asking them to contact the Omaha Police Department.
"It's really hard," Abi's uncle Bhim Gurung said.
Thursday is day three in the search for his missing 7-year-old son. Law enforcement continues to use the same resources as before to search for the missing child.
"We are still actively searching on both land and water. We still have boats in the water we'll have our drone equipment be used along the shoreline and everything," Lieutenant Neal Bonacci said.
Wednesday, dozens of Abi's family members walked alongside officers in the rough forest area near where Abi vanished. Bonacci called it a team effort.
"Each officer kind of took a group of folks and a translator and were able to kind of comb the brushed areas or the more heavily wooded areas and utilize them and it worked out great," Bonacci said.
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After searching by boat, drone, horse, helicopter, and on foot. The question remains, where is Abi?
"We are desperately sad right now," says Abi's uncle.
While law enforcement agencies searched land and water on Wednesday, family gathered near the river in case there was any news. The 7-year-old vanished right by the Missouri River around Tuesday evening.
Abi's family says several kids were playing at N.P. Dodge Park. When two of them suddenly started struggling in the water.
"There were other kids still, the other kids was drowning so they went and rescued them and when they got back here, he was not here," says Kumari Tamt, Abi's aunt.
On Wednesday evening, the family joined in the search through thick, wooded areas trying to find any sign of Abi.
"We're trying to rule out of those possibilities that's why they had family searching in wooded areas, we are searching in wooded areas, there is only so far we can go and get in there and basically just doing everything we can to rule out that he may still be in there," Omaha police Officer Phil Anson said.
Officer Anson says, right now, they do not need the public's help, but will let people know if it comes to that. Right now, the main mission is finding Abi.
"When you hear that age you just want to do everything you can to bring that little boy back home to his family," Officer Anson said.
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Crews have been searching by boat, drone and on foot for missing 7-year-old Abi Gurung at N.P. Dodge Park.
Authorities say the young boy was last seen around 6 p.m. Tuesday playing by the water.
Wednesday afternoon, Omaha police said no foul play was suspected in Abi's disappearance, as the family stood to watch along the river bank.
"We are desperately sad right now," Abi's uncle Bahim Gurung said.
KETV NewsWatch 7's Quanecia Fraser spoke with the boy's parents Wednesday morning. They provided these photos and said he was last seen wearing the clothing pictured below, except for the hat and jacket:
The parents said Abi was out with other family members for a fun outing when it appeared two other children were drowning. The family went to rescue them and when they turned their attention back to Abi, he disappeared.
"There were other kids still, the other kids were drowning so they went and rescued them and when they got back here. He was not here," Abi's aunt said.
Multiple agencies helped with the search, including the Omaha Police Department, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, Eppley Fire and Rescue, and the Omaha and Council Bluffs fire departments. Local boat owners also showed up to help search the area.
OPD helicopter ABLE-1 flew over the area for over two hours Tuesday and Wednesday night, searching the river and the trees.
Omaha police Lt. Shane Myers said officers also searched on-foot in the forest area nearby but said they strongly believe the child is in the water.
Myers said the water is deceiving and risk for any age.
"That water is deceivingly fast, the undercurrent. So even adults, this isn't the first time this has happened. I mean, it happens to adults so especially with a child, there's a great concern for them," he said.
Myers said officers ran into a language barrier when speaking to the boy's family.
Wednesday, Lt. Neal Bonacci said he is hopeful that Abi will be found alive.
"We're covering all our bases. We're doing our due diligence and checking even further than we need to in a normal situation," Bonacci said.
Abi's family hopes you'll learn from this terrible situation and keep your children away from the river.
"I just request not to come to have fun in places like this because there's not a lifeguard," Gurung said.
Family members said Abi speaks good English and can communicate with people if he's found.
Stay with KETV NewsWatch 7 for updates on this developing story.