ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The Rochester Police Department said teams have continued to search the Genesee River on Monday, without success in finding the 5-year-old boy who fell in near the Andrews Street Bridge.

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, Rochester Fire Department, Department of Environmental Conservation, and RG&E assisted in the search on Monday. There were helicopters, drones, scuba teams with sonar, and officers on foot looking for the young boy.

Police said the boy was with his mother and younger sibling in a stroller when he ran ahead, climbed over the railing, and fell about 50 feet. It happened on Sunday just before 5 p.m.

First responders found a blue jacket near the Pont de Rennes footbridge, about half a mile downstream from where the boy fell. Police did not confirm if the jacket belonged to the boy. News10NBC spoke to a local mother who came to help with the search.

“I’m a mother as well, and it’s so heartbreaking to hear and even sleep through the night knowing he hasn’t been discovered yet,” Bobeisha Joseph said. “You know, 1,000 eyes are better than two pairs and four pairs, and I just wanted to see if I could come out here and do what I can for the situation.”

Mayor Malik Evans spoke on Monday about the search efforts, saying that anyone with children can sympathize with what the family and rescuers are going through.

“In this office, you hear about a lot of tragedies, but this is absolutely heartbreaking,” Evans said. “I think this is something that all of us who have kids, little kids, can identify with. I mean, my kids would run ahead and climb on things, it’s what kids do, but you always hope it doesn’t end in tragedy like this.”

RPD Capt. Greg Bello also spoke about the search, saying the boy’s mother ran along the river, trying to reach him, but was unable to get past the fences quickly enough to rescue him.

“This is an incredibly sad situation,” Bello said. “We ask everybody to say your prayers for this family because this is an incredibly traumatic situation for anybody to go through.”

Kayla Gales, who lives nearby, said her thoughts are with the family of the child.

“Somebody at the restaurant over here was saying that they heard the mother screaming, which I’m sure she was distraught,” she said.

The Pont de Rennes Bridge over High Falls and the Andrews Street Bridge were closed off on Sunday, but both bridges have since reopened.

Police said the Person in Crisis Team and the Criminal Investigation Section are working with the mother of the child to provide services and updated information.

Check back for updates.

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