Boy not found after second day of searching Tar River in Franklin County

FRANKLINTON, N.C. (WTVD) -- It's been an emotional 24 hours for the family of a seven-year-old boy who vanished in the Tar River on Monday.

"We're just speechless right now," Shirbartis Alston said. "We're numb, but we're still praying that God gives us favor."

Family members tell Eyewitness News the boy was outside playing with other children when at some point, he fell into the water. The family said the boy doesn't know how to swim and his sister tried to save him.

"We're just praying that we can see his face again," Alston said.

Since Monday, crews from multiple agencies have been working for hours, doubling down on the search with more boats, more sonar, underwater drones and aerial drones on Tuesday.

As of 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Franklin County Emergency Management Director Nicholas Thorpe said six boats were in the Tar River moving further downstream. The search area was expanded to three miles. Crews from Rocky Mount have also joined in on the search.

"Time is valuable, especially in a missing persons case," Captain Josh Skelnik of the Youngsville Dive Team said.

"We have to hit it from every angle we can."

There have been some challenges to the search and rescue, such as high water levels and the murkiness of the water, according to Skelnik. However, Thorpe said on Tuesday the search is a little easier now that the water is receding.

"We are grateful for everyone who's reaching out to us, wanting to offer their help," Thorpe said. "The last thing we want to do is put anyone in an unsafe situation during this search. So right now, we're not seeking any additional help from the community."