The body of a missing 11-year-old boy was found in New York City’s Hudson River, just days after his friend was found dead in the Harlem River.
Alfa Barrie’s body was found floating in the river just before 7am on Saturday May 20, days after his friend’s body was recovered earlier last week.
An autopsy is scheduled for Monday for Alfa Ousmane Barrie.
New York City’s Fire Department was said to be attending the water rescue at the Hudson River, near West 102nd Street- with the NYPD Harbor team set to recover the body.
His friend, 13-year-old Garrett Warren, was found dead in Harlem River last week.
Barrie’s body was found on Saturday morning in the Hudson River off the Upper West Side.The two friends went missing over a week ago.
Barrie was reported missing on the morning of Sunday, May 14, and Garret was reported missing the next day.
‘They were reported missing at different times, but investigators believe because they’re friends – they could be together,’ NYPD Assistant Chief Ruel Stevenson said at a press conference.
The disappearance kicked off a massive search involving officers from Manhattan, the Bronx, the Strategic Response Group, and the Harbor Unit.
The two boys were last seen on surveillance camera footage around 6.00pm on Friday, May 12, NYPD Detective Brian Gill said.
The boys were seen on Lenox Avenue in Harlem. They were later seen in at a fish shop in East Harlem, before climbing through a hole in a fence near the waterfront.
Warren’s body was pulled from the Harlem River on Thursday, May 18. His death was ruled an accidental drowning, with no signs of trauma or foul play.
But there was no sign of Barrie, who would not be found until Saturday. It is unclear why their bodies were found nearly two miles away from each other, or how they got upstream from East Harlem.
The autopsy will determine Barrie’s exact cause of death.
Alfa’s older sister, Fatima Diallo, spoke of her brother, who was the youngest of six, saying: ‘This was the first time this has ever happened.’
The 11-year-old lived in the Bronx and was a sixth grader at Democracy Prep Middle School in Harlem.
Barrie’s school said they were ‘devastated’ to hear of the student’s death.
‘He stood out as a funny, bright, witty, inquisitive, and brave child,’ Democracy Prep said. ‘He will be sorely missed by his teachers and fellow students.’
