Missing Toddler's Body Pulled From Water Near Prospect Park Boathouse
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police said the body of a missing 2-year-old was pulled from the water near the Prospect Park Boathouse Saturday afternoon.
As 1010 WINS' Gary Baumgarten reported, Ruhshona Kurbonova's mother was apparently distracted while barbecuing when she lost track of the little girl and her 4-year-old brother around 2 p.m.
Missing Toddler's Body Pulled From Water Near Prospect Park Boathouse
When news spread that the two children were missing, parkgoers jumped into action, WCBS 880's Jim Smith reported.
"We began to search around with everyone else. It was a lot of people out here searching," said Shavonne Dilard, who along with her church group, organized a search party. "We went searching like this was a part of our family. We went praying. We went searching."
Missing Toddler's Body Pulled From Water Near Prospect Park Boathouse
Police put up missing flyers around the park and the boy was eventually found wet and covered in algae. He led police to the area where Ruhshona was eventually found, Baumgarten reported.
"They took the little boy and he said where is your sister and he pointed to the water," witness April Bailey told CBS 2's Dave Carlin.
Hours after their disappearance divers located Ruhshona's body and pulled her out of the water.
Witnesses said the mother collapsed in agony when little Ruhshona was pulled from the water.
"We heard her screaming and crying," said Baily. "It's going to be with me forever."
"To see her screaming and I know she screamed because she lost her child; we just broke down in tears," Dilard said.
Witnesses told Carlin the family spoke very little English. A police officer fluent in Russian was brought in to help them in their time of overwhelming grief.
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