Recovery effort underway for 6-year-old girl who fell into Chester Creek in Delco
The girl was playing with other children near the creek, swollen by heavy rains, when she fell in Saturday night.
The search for a 6-year-old girl who fell into the fast-moving Chester Creek in Delaware County near its confluence with the Delaware River on Saturday night has shifted into a recovery operation, officials announced Sunday afternoon.
“This is an extremely sad day for the city of Chester,” said Chester Mayor Stefan Roots.
The Chester City Fire Department led an extensive search, sparked around 7 p.m. Saturday when the girl, who had been playing with other children near the creek, was reported missing, according to authorities. Fire department rescue efforts were suspended at 10:30 p.m. due to weather conditions, but the U.S. Coast Guard continued to look overnight.
Crews will continue their search until dusk Sunday, said John-Paul Shirley, Chester Fire Department battalion chief. Officials had anticipated the search might become a rescue effort after failing to locate the girl within the first three hours of searching on Saturday, Shirley said. Still, they remained hopeful.
“I think it’s difficult on everyone,” he said. “We all have families, we all have people that we love and I think none of us really want to place ourselves in the family’s shoes, so the best thing we can do for them is just support them, show them our love.”
Theresa Ham, 39, who identified the girl as her niece Lin’Ajah Brooker at Sunday’s news conference, described Lin’Ajah as “a ray of sunshine” known for her kindness, love for TikToks, and enjoyment of family time.
The Chester City police, the U.S. Coast Guard, and fire and police departments from other Delaware County municipalities were among the rescue crews operating boats, helicopters, and a mini submarine that the city received a few months ago and that crews were just trained to use at the end of February, Roots said.
Authorities have looked from the Commodore Barry Bridge up to the Chester Creek and have other crews looking up and down the Delaware River on both the New Jersey and Pennsylvania sides.
Chester Creek’s banks were swollen and muddy from heavy rains on Saturday when the 6-year-old fell into the creek while playing near East Seventh Street and the Avenue of the States in downtown Chester.
Although it’s not clear how exactly the children ended up playing by the river, Roots said either a small gap in a nearby park fence or a driveway behind a set of houses that is not protected from the waters could be what led them to the creek. The city plans to address those issues, he said.
“This community is one that will wrap its arms around those that are hurt and in need,” Roots said. “The family … are still seeking answers as we continue to search for the little girl. It’s really hard to say anything, other than that we’re praying, we’re hoping, and we appreciate the prayers and support that I understand is coming from all over the country right now.”