Weather Expected To Halt Search For Missing Toddler In Rockport
ROCKPORT, Mass. (CBS/AP) — State police troopers, helicopters, divers, dogs and detectives did not find anything of substance during a third day of searching for a 2-year-old girl who apparently disappeared from a Massachusetts beach when her mother went to retrieve a lost ball.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Kim Tunnicliffe reports
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Police say Caleigh Anne Harrison of Gloucester went missing around noon Thursday on an outing with her mother and 4-year-old sister on Long Beach in Rockport. Her mother said she lost sight of the girls for about two minutes, and Caleigh was gone.
The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search of 248 square miles of nearby waters at midday Friday, calling it "an unfortunate and frustrating case."
But state police officers, dogs and helicopters continued searching for the toddler.
On Saturday, State Police said their divers searched the rocky shorelines, nearby wetlands and outcroppings in the area. The beach is known for strong riptides, so searchers put rafts in the water and allowed them to drift with the current.
With a rain and wind storm bearing down on the area, officials expected that water searches for the missing toddler would not resume until Tuesday.
In the meantime, authorities say they aren't ruling anything out. The Essex County State Police Detective Unit and Rockport Police continue to investigate whether Caleigh could have been abducted.
"That investigation is ongoing and continues to focus on trying to determine the facts and circumstances of her disappearance," State Police spokesperson David Procopio said in a statement. "We have not ruled out a potential abduction at this time."
(TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
