Utilizing drones, helicopters, and a sizeable rescue squad, authorities undertake their mission. - Authorities organize massive manhunt for Arian, age 6.
Did six-year-old Arian vanish into the river and get swept away by the current? "We're all questioning the same thing at the moment," remarks police spokesperson Heiner van der Werp in an interview for IPPEN.MEDIA.
The Oste is a tributary that feeds into the Lower Elbe in the German state of Lower Saxony. It runs through Harburg, Rotenburg, Stade, and Cuxhaven before emptying into the Elbe.
A new massive search effort is set to begin next week, with the fire department, drones, and helicopters participating.
Arian's been missing for nearly three weeks
Arian, who has autism, went missing from his parents' home in Elm, part of Bremervörde, at 7:30 pm on April 22. He was only wearing a thin sweater and no shoes.
1,200 rescuers from the fire department, police, German Military, Red Cross, Life Saving Society, and Civil Protection Agency have been searching for him so far. This organized search for a child was the largest in Germany's history.
Why is the search in the Oste so challenging?
"The Oste flows rapidly toward the Elbe and then the North Sea, making it dependent on the ebb and flow of the tide and subject to changes in direction," details van der Werp.
Another obstacle: if Arian drowned, it's uncertain when his body might've been carried away by the current.
"A body initially sinks to the riverbed, then resurfaces when putrefactive gases develop. However, due to the Oste's current cold temperature, this process may take longer than usual," van der Werp elaborates.
The search for the lost boy will likely extend from the Oste's mouth to Bremervörde. The police are resolute: "We'll search again, and we'll do so with a large team," attests van der Werp.
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Source: symclub.org
