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Woman, 11-Year-Old Boy Drowns in Morris County River

Boonton Township

Authorities in Morris County are reporting the death of a woman and an 11-year-old boy who were found dead in a river in Boonton on Tuesday evening. 

In a joint press conference, Acting Prosecutor Robert Carroll and Boonton Police Captain Stephen Jones said just before 5:40 p.m., a passerby dialed 911 and told police a 6-year-old child was shouting for her mother inside Grace Lord Park.

Authorities said when police arrived, they found the child standing near the Rockaway River and saw two bodies in the top of the waterfall that the river flows into. 

Police said rescue crews pulled the bodies of a 35-year-old woman and a child, identified as an 11-year-old male, out of the water around 5:37 p.m. and pronounced dead.

Officials said the Morris County Prosecutor’s office, sheriff’s office, and Boonton police are investigating the incident.

Officials would not confirm the relationship between the woman and children, and no foul play is immediately reported. 

The investigation remains active and ongoing.

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