Authorities recovered the body of a 10-year-old girl from the waters off Rhode Island on Monday afternoon following a nearly 24-hour search.
The Coast Guard said around 1:40 p.m. Monday that the child was recovered by a Warwick Fire Department marine unit near Conimicut Point following the massive search that had continued through the night Sunday into Monday.
The girl was identified as Yoskarly Martinez, of Providence. She had been at the beach with her family when she went missing in the water, Warwick police Capt. Robert Hart said.
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Authorities were first called to Conimicut Point Park at about 3 p.m. Sunday for people in the water. About five hours into their search, around 8:20 p.m., rescue crews in Narragansett Bay found the body of a 35-year-old man who died trying to rescue the girl.
He was identified Monday as Valentin Cardona Sanchez, of Central Falls, Fire Chief Peter McMichael said.
Authorities say the two were not related and Cardona Sanchez did not know the Martinez family. He has been hailed as a hero for trying to rescue the girl.
Two other men who tried to help were taken to the hospital Sunday, McMichael added.
Warwick Mayor Frank Picozzi said on Facebook that he was at the scene for quite a while Sunday, where the fire department chaplain was with the family.
"We've gotten some somber news today," Picozzi shared. "Two swimmers are missing (one adult and one child) off the shore of Conimicut Point."
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He later shared an update on Facebook, noting the man's body had been recovered but that the Coast Guard was continuing to search for the child. Officials had initially said the girl was 11 and the man was 30.
Picozzi praised the man's heroic actions, saying he did not know the girl but was trying to save her.
"He lost his life trying to save the child," Picozzi said. "He was a hero."
The mayor also said that two other people were pulled from the water and transported to the hospital. There has been no update on their conditions.
There are signs at the beach warning that there are no lifeguards on duty and telling swimmers to beware of strong currents and undertows.
Several agencies, including the U.S. Coast Guard, Warwick Fire and Police departments, and Narragansett Bay Marine Task Force, were involved in the search.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
