The desperate search for an 18-year-old recent high school graduate who vanished in the raging waters of the Niagara River has turned into a heartbreaking recovery mission after days of exhaustive efforts by emergency crews, according to reports.
Aung Hla, of Buffalo, disappeared Wednesday after slipping from rocks while fishing with five friends in a restricted section of the Niagara Gorge near the Whirlpool Park stairs, local news station 2WGRZ reported.
New York State Parks Police said it received a report of a teen in the river around 10:15 a.m.
Witnesses said the recent Kenmore West High School graduate fell into the swift current, fought desperately to stay afloat, and was then swept away by the river’s powerful rapids, the outlet reported.
Since then, dozens of first responders have searched relentlessly by land, air and water, deploying helicopters, boats, jet skis and night-vision drones in hopes of finding the teenager.
But on Friday, after an extensive three-day search stretching from the Niagara Gorge to the mouth of the river at Lake Ontario, authorities announced that the rescue effort had officially become a recovery operation, according to the outlet.
“Our thoughts are with the young man’s family and friends during this difficult time,” New York State Park Police said in a statement.
The search brought together the cooperation of several agencies, including New York State Park Police, New York State Police, the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Border Patrol, Canadian Park Police, Erie and Niagara County aviation units and the Niagara Falls Fire Department.
Capt. Chris Rola of New York State Park Police said the picturesque gorge can be deceiving.
“…While it’s a beautiful area, it’s a very dangerous area if you get into the areas that are restricted,” he told WKBW, noting that the washed-out trails made search efforts especially challenging.
For Aung’s family, however, hope has been difficult to let go.
His father, Maung Hla, said he still believes his son may somehow be alive.
“My belief is that my son somewhere in a stick like this, and they hold their hand and then somebody coming, help,” the heartbroken dad told the outlet earlier this week.
The tragedy has shaken the entire Kenmore West High School community, where Aung graduated just last month.
School officials said they are “heartbroken” and opened the school’s Family Support Center to provide free counseling for students, staff and families struggling to cope with the devastating news.
“This is an extremely difficult time for the entire Kenmore West High School community and we join everyone in hoping for a safe outcome while keeping his family and loved ones in our thoughts,” the school said in a statement.