A body has been found in the search for a two-year-old boy who fell into a river over three months ago.
Xielo Maruziva fell into the River Soar on 18 February while walking along a towpath in Aylestone Meadows, a nature reserve in Leicester, where the river had flooded due to heavy rain.
His father went into the water to try to retrieve him but was unable to do so.
Leicestershire police said a body was found on Thursday morning by workers in the area. The body has been recovered and formal identification will take place, while specialist officers are providing support to Xielo’s family.
Assistant chief constable Michaela Kerr said: “This is devastating news and our thoughts are with Xielo’s family. We are so sorry to bring them this news which we were all dreading and our full support is being provided to them at this most difficult time.
“Full support is also being provided to the workers who were in the area of Aylestone Meadows this morning and I want to thank them for their support and cooperation in the most horrendous and unimaginable circumstances.”
A dedicated search was launched for Xielo in February with a number of specialist teams deployed to the area and more than 200 officers brought in to help.
National Police Air Service helicopters, drones, boats, divers and private diving teams, marine dogs and teams from Nottinghamshire police, Lincolnshire police and other forces across the country joined the efforts to find the boy.
The search was scaled back towards the end of March, with Leicestershire police saying additional specialist resources from across the country would no longer be at the scene, although regular patrols of the water and riverbank would continue.
After the discovery of the body, Kerr said: “Thank you to everyone who has been involved in the search for Xielo for your dedicated work in extremely traumatic circumstances and an extremely complex search. Thank you also to our communities and wider members of the public for your continued support.”
Speaking after Xielo first fell into the river, the boy’s father said he was a “bundle of joy to us”.
He was a “charming and creative little boy, and has just started at nursery”, he said, and “it is hard to describe the pain and suffering we are going through”.
“We would like to thank the search teams. We would also like to thank members of the public for all of your support. It is your prayers which are keeping us strong,” he said.
