The Passaic River search that consumed emergency crews for three days came to a close on Friday night with the recovery of a second child’s body, Passaic Mayor Hector Lora confirmed.

Ten-year-old Milian Dulan had been missing since Wednesday, when she and another child were pulled into the water. The other victim, ten-year-old Michael Klenk, was located Wednesday night.

How She Was Found

Residents living near the Market Street Bridge spotted what they believed might be a body in the water and alerted first responders. Dulan was recovered roughly a hundred feet from the bridge.

Her mother was present and identified her at the scene.

Three Days of Searching

The effort to locate Dulan had been continuous since Thursday and involved nearly every resource available to the county.

Helicopters conducted aerial surveys of the river
Boat crews worked the surface
Drones covered stretches difficult to reach from land or water
Dive teams entered the water repeatedly

On Friday, cadaver dogs were brought in to assist. Late in the afternoon, Lora reported that the dogs had registered interest at a location beneath a bridge, though officials did not consider the signal strong enough to justify deploying divers to that spot.

The recovery came from a civilian sighting rather than from any of the specialised equipment deployed.

Where It Began

According to Lora, the children involved were all from Garfield. They had been playing along the riverbank at Pulaski Park before making their way onto a boat ramp.

That ramp is not a public access point. It is maintained for use by police and fire personnel, and it descends directly into the river.

The distinction matters. A boat ramp presents an inviting surface, sloped gently and paved, that gives no visual indication of where footing ends and open water begins. Wet concrete offers almost no traction, and a slip near the waterline puts a person into the current with no opportunity to recover.

Why the Passaic Is Dangerous

Rivers like the Passaic carry hazards that are largely invisible from the bank. The surface can appear placid while the flow underneath moves with considerable force, particularly in the days following rainfall.

Water temperature compounds the danger. Sudden immersion triggers an involuntary gasp reflex, and a child who inhales water in that first moment loses the ability to swim regardless of skill.

Debris beneath the surface, submerged structures and abrupt drop-offs are common in urban rivers, and none of them announce themselves to someone standing at the edge.

A Community Absorbing Two Losses

Both children were ten years old. Both were from Garfield. Both were doing what children do near water on a summer afternoon.

For Dulan’s mother, the ending came in the most difficult way imaginable, identifying her daughter on a riverbank after three days of waiting. For the families of both children, the recovery closes the search without offering anything resembling comfort.

The Question of Access

Incidents like this frequently prompt examination of how a restricted area became accessible. A ramp intended solely for emergency vehicles sits at the edge of a public park, and whether adequate barriers or signage separated the two is a question local officials will likely face.

Nothing in the available account indicates negligence by anyone involved. Children explore, and physical spaces that seem obviously off-limits to adults often read very differently to a ten-year-old.

What Remains

The Passaic River search is over, and both children have been returned to their families. What remains is a conversation Passaic and Garfield will now have about riverbank access, about supervision, and about how quickly an ordinary afternoon at a park can turn.

For anyone living near open water with children, the practical lesson from this week is uncomfortable but simple. Ramps, docks and paved edges leading into rivers are among the most hazardous features in any park, precisely because they look like the safest place to stand.